US slips from No. 1 to also-ran in global economic rankings

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/09/11/us-slips-from-no-1-to-also-ran-in-global-economic-rankings/#ixzz26Id6QE7x

The United States is losing its competitive edge.

So says a new report from the World Economic Forum which found the U.S. slipping in dozens of areas compared with just a few years ago. Perhaps most troubling is the conclusion that since 2008, the United States has slid from No. 1 in the world in "global competitiveness" to No. 7 this year. 
Out-ranking America are: Switzerland, Singapore, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany. 
Sure, it's just a number. But the WEF's ranking takes into account a broad range of factors, from debt to corruption to regulation to red tape to education to health care.

And virtually across the board, the U.S. is falling behind.