Nearly 30 years ago, Ronald Reagan famously asked Americans, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" More than 60 NYCity News Service reporters fanned out through the city in the days before the historic Nov. 4 election to ask New Yorkers:

"Where do you want this country to be four years from now?"

Queens CD9

Jed Ryan

Age: 37
Neighborhood: Kew Gardens
Occupation: nurse
First Time Voter: no
Political Affiliation: independent

“Healthcare should be the top priority.”

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Jeremy Buchman

Age: 39
Neighborhood: Kew Gardens
Occupation: Professor of Political Science
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Democrat

“I’d like to see a government that works for us.”

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Adam Masin

Age: 35
Neighborhood: Kew Gardens
Occupation: Lawyer
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Democrat

“What we’ve seen over the last eight years… is this idea that we can just deregulate everything, and everything will be fine, and it doesn’t work that way.”

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Arlene Adler

Age: 77
Neighborhood: Kew Gardens
Occupation: opera singer
First Time Voter: no
Political Affiliation: Democrat

“A good life for everybody – but I don’t know if that’s possible.”

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2008 Election