Investment in information-technology equipment and software fell at an annual rate of 6.5% in real terms.

ECONOMIST: The American economy

The report, by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), urges greater federal government investment in upgrading voting equipment and the creation of a new agency to oversee standards.

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And overall investment fell yet again, though there was a modest rise in spending on computers and equipment, suggesting that the rout in technology investment may finally be coming to an end.

ECONOMIST: The economy