Peter O'Dowd

Supporters of the state's divisive immigration law say it has achieved one of its stated goals: Thousands of illegal immigrants have left. However, the real cause — and consequence — of such a demographic shift may be more complex.

There's a noticeable streak of Mormon libertarianism in the West, and the Ron Paul campaign has actively courted that vote. While Republican Mitt Romney retains strong support among many of his faith, others see their religion more in line with a much smaller-government approach to politics.

Analysts say manufacturer First Solar needs federal support to keep its competitive edge and to drive down the cost to produce solar panels, a key factor to industry success. But the kind of federal loan guarantees given to failed energy company Solyndra are increasingly unpopular in Washington.

Downtown Phoenix is full of dirt lots. At the peak of the real estate bubble, an acre was selling for about $90 a square foot. Investors and developers thought the city was finally about to grow up. Now, the same land sells for $9 a square foot.