Institute Index

November 12, 2010 - Number of Americans who are currently unemployed: 14.8 million Average duration of their unemployment: 33.9 weeks October's overall unemployment rate, essentially unchanged since May: 9.6 percent

November 5, 2010 - Number of seats the Republican Party gained in the U.S. Senate in the mid-term elections: 6 Number of those seats that are in the South: 1 Number of seats the Republican Party gained in the U.S. House: at least 60

October 29, 2010 - Rank of voter registration problems among the top threats to the franchise this year, according to the Brennan Center for Justice: 1

October 21, 2010 - "An Inconvenient Truth" director Davis Guggenheim's latest documentary, "Wait

October 15, 2010 -

October 6, 2010 -

October 1, 2010 - Date that Republicans used Senate rules to block an extension of the TANF Emergency Fund that directly subsidized jobs for the unemployed in government, nonprofits and small businesses: 9/28/2010 Date that the program expired: 9/30/2010

September 24, 2010 - Date on which a Supreme Court ruling for the first time allowed corporations, unions and other organizations to spend unlimited amounts

September 10, 2010 - Date on which a federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit brought by five foreign plaintiffs transported by CIA contractors to U.S.-run prisons or foreign intelligence agencies overseas, where they were tortured: 9/8/2010 The vote in that case, in which the Justice Department invoked the "state secrets" privilege: 6 to 5

September 6, 2010 - Date of the first Labor Day celebration in the United States: 9/5/1882