"It’s part of the American character to look at the nation’s problems and seek answers to solve them," says Tom DeWeese, president of the American Policy Center, "but we also have to take stock of what we are doing right and the statistics suggest Americans can take justifiable pride, despite the naysayers." Here are some of the statistics the American Policy Center has collected:

The U.S. death rate reached a record low, including decreases in the mortality rates from AIDS and homicides. "Put another way, Americans are living longer, healthier, and safer lives than ever before as we end the century," said DeWeese.

While crime dominates the news, gun deaths dropped 2l% from 1993 to 1997, the most recent years from which this data is available. Firearm related injuries fell 4l% according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationwide, serious crime continued to decrease during the first six months of 1999. Murder was down 13% from the previous year, property crimes and burglary dropped 14%.

Despite the tragedy of Columbine High School early in 1999, deadly violence in U.S. schools has decreased in recent years and 1998-1999 may prove to be one of the safest school years in a decade according to data from the Department of Justice and the National School Safety Center. The nation’s teenage birth rate fell again in 1998 according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

In 1998, drunken driving deaths dropped to an all-time low according to the National Highway Safety Administration. Americans logged an unprecedented 2.6 million miles behind the wheel that year.

Amidst the lowest unemployment and high productivity rates in 1999, an estimated 1.1 million Americans were lifted above the official poverty level according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Other Census data reveals that the typical adult American is married and living with his or her spouse. This represents 56% of the adult population.

"From this small sample of statistics," says DeWeese, "we can see why Americans are the envy of the world. So long as we continue to protect our nation’s sovereignty and the freedoms that previous generations fought to preserve, we can anticipate remaining a beacon of democracy and hope to the rest of the world."