(COMMON DREAMS) Jon Queally, June 22, 2017 — Contrary to the mythological story known as “American Exceptionalism,” the United States does a poor job, according to a fresh analysis, of meeting even “the basic human needs of its citizens” and should now be considered a “second tier” country in terms of promoting social progress.

Released by the Social Progressive Imperative (SPI), the 2017 Global Social Progress Index reveals that the U.S. ranks 17th in the world when it comes to promoting the general welfare, coming in behind its Canadian neighbor to the north and far behind Scandinavian countries and the other social democracies of Europe. Of all countries, Denmark comes in first when it comes to providing for its citizens and fostering progress on various fronts.

The Index, designed to offer “holistic” measurements of a country’s social performance independent of broader economic factors. According to a snapshot, the analysis shows that between 2014—2017:

Source: Welcome to the ‘Second Tier’: US Failing Big League on Social Progress | Common Dreams