Our interactive guide to America's people, politics and economy

DESPITE the surprising contraction of 0.1% GDP in the fourth quarter of 2012, America’s economic recovery continues apace. The unemployment rate has stabilised, with 19 states plus the District of Columbia recording a statistically significant fall in unemployment in December compared with the same month in 2011. Nevada and Rhode Island had the highest unemployment rates that month; North Dakota the lowest. The latest data show that personal income per person has grown in all states, and all but eight have seen their economies expand.



Although growth remains tepid voters are hopeful that the recovery has taken hold and the economy is improving. This optimism may explain why Barack Obama won the presidential election in 2012, despite comparatively high unemployment for an election year. Mr Obama beat Mitt Romney with 51% of the vote to his Republican rival's 47% and won nearly all the states he picked up in 2008, bar Indiana and North Carolina. The Democrat’s margin of victory was smaller in most of the states he did win, the exceptions being Maryland, New Jersey and New York. The president was boosted by the growing influence of the Hispanic vote in places such as Colorado, Nevada and New Jersey.