Is Alaska in a Recession?

Talk of Alaska being in a recession - or heading for one - has grown over the last year as oil prices have plunged. But what exactly is a recession, and what does it mean if we're in one? For states, there's no accepted definition on of a recession, and coming up with one isn't clear-cut. Nationally, the National Bureau of Economic Research - a private, nonprofit research group - and its Business Cycle Dating Committee are the recognized authority on identifying when the country entered a recession and when it ended. For example, the most recent national recession, often called the 'Great Recession'.