Patriotism is what shapes a nation’s identity. Likewise, it is patriotism that has made the United States one of the greatest countries in the world. However, when it comes to assessing patriotism across the fifty states, various criteria come into play.
In this article, we’ll go over the discussion of America’s least patriotic states and explore the reasons behind their rankings.
Defining Patriotism
Before jumping into the least patriotic states, it’s important to understand what patriotism is. Patriotism entails loyalty and devotion to one’s country, which is often expressed through several actions. These primarily include support for national symbols, engagement in civic activities, and mutual attachment and endearment toward other citizens.
Patriots put up a strong dedication to their country’s welfare and development. This commitment is vital for any country or state’s potential for advancement. Therefore, evaluating and ranking states based on their patriotism is essential, as it enables us to pinpoint areas that are more likely to make progress and foster development.
Factors Influencing Patriotic Ranking
Patriotic ranking is influenced by civic and military engagement. Civic participation, such as voting rates, volunteering hours, and involvement in groups, reflects a state’s commitment to active citizenship. Metrics like Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers per capita and trial and grand jury participation reveal community dedication to service and civic responsibilities.
Military engagement, including veterans, active-duty personnel, and military reserves, reveals a state’s enduring commitment to national defense. These factors contribute to a comprehensive assessment of a state’s patriotic ranking.
10. Mississippi
The Magnolia State is left in the 28th position out of the total 50 states, according to a study conducted by WalletHub. This study revealed a comparison of patriotism rates in all 50 US states. It compared military and civilian engagement to produce a score for each state. Unfortunately, the state hasn’t been able to conquer any place in the top 10 in any category. But there’s nothing to worry about, as Mississippi scored quite well for military engagement occurring in the 17th position in America. Do keep in mind that this is one of the best scores you will be seeing from the rest of our guilty participants.
Before you start getting your hopes high, we sadly inform you that it has ranked 32nd in civic engagement. Last but not least, it ranked 50th in Peace Corps volunteers and 49th in volunteerism. Poor Mississippi never seems to be enough, as it shows with their 41.69 scores, leading them straight to the bottom ten on our list.
9. Texas
Texas might have its own power grind, yet it couldn’t power up its patriotism. Due to regional cultural differences, political perspectives, or other significant elements, the big state ended up with significantly low civic engagement scores. Standing at 46 out of 50, its civic engagement is something to tense over.
Apart from all the ranting, Texas stands proudly, as it ranked 9 out of the top 10 in the military engagement category. You already know it did; it’s Texas, for god sake. This contrast is as diverse as its population, for sure. Overall, the Lone Star State ended up with a low score of 38.12, earning its place at number 9 on our list.
8. West Virginia
The toughest and most obese state in America won the title for the least diverse state in America, ranking 50th regarding diversity. It ended up ranking in the 30s table based on two of the most important criteria. Factors like low recruitment efforts, economic conditions, education opportunities, and historical context have fueled the lack of military engagement in the region
The military engagement lies in the 34th position, followed by civic engagement, which dropped to 18. When it comes to voting in the presidential elections, the state is close to the bottom; most probably, the mountains are at fault. All these together leave the youngest state in America at number 8 on our list, with a rounded-up disappointing score of 29.82.
7. Arkansas
According to the published WalletHub report, the Natural State hits rock bottom when it comes to representing its patriotism. One of the main reasons for this downfall has to be its 43rd position when it comes to civic engagement. That sounds quite disappointing coming from the state of opportunity, right?
However, the nation did make an impressive comeback with its impressive military engagement, ranking the state 29th among other nations. Jotting all this down, Arkansas stands at 7 with a rounded-up score of 29.76.
6. New Jersey
The state, with shopping malls at every corner, might fall first in fun and games, but it flopped like a film with the least rotten tomatoes rating. With such a low ranking, it is difficult to imagine that this nation witnessed George Washington cross the Delaware to MDK German mercenaries on a Christmas night. Now it is home to the fewest veterans per capita.
With a great diversity of residents in New Jersey, it ranks 29th in civic engagement in the nation. This is all due to the fact that the highest percentage of adults who voted in the 2020 election were from New Jersey. Alas! The military engagement was disastrous, taking place at number 48. All these together gave it a position of 6 with a very low score of 29.63.
5. Illinois
The prestigious birthplace of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and the home of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site are shockingly the opposite of what they should be when it comes to patriotism. The friendly state scored quite less regarding military and civic engagement.
The rich history woven deep within this region couldn’t halt its downfall as the least patriotic state in America. Like New Jersey, civic engagement stood stronger than military engagement, with their positions being 36 and 39, respectively. The state has earned a space in the 45th position.
4. California
The Golden State isn’t going back home with a golden trophy of the best patriotism, but it is a few steps further from getting the least one! Jokes aside, the land of sunshine has failed to truly reflect its patriotic mentality, according to the results.
Although it is way ahead of other states when it comes to the entertainment industry, it has failed in civic engagement and military engagement. Occupying a position at 31 and 44, respectively, the state sits on the 46th number among the union.
3. Michigan
It looks like the Great Lakes State has drowned its patriotism along with the tide, standing in the top 3 least patriotic states in America. Although the state is known for its rich contributions to the United States, especially during the war, its military engagement has now dropped to a shocking level.
Alongside that, civic engagement has also hit rock bottom positioning at 37 amidst the nation The military engagement has performed even worse, standing in the 45th position. So, in total our beautiful Michigan is at number 47, with an unfortunate score of 26.81.
2. Connecticut
Up next, we have the Constitution State, which hasn’t lived up to its name. It has dragged itself down to the second least patriotic state. Despite the state’s significant contribution to the American Revolutionary War, it somehow managed to disappoint by settling on the 46th position in the nation regarding military engagement.
Nevertheless, its civic engagement did do a little better, standing tall at 37, which is not great but could have been worse.
1. New York
New York sure is a lively state with the Statue of Liberty and the iconic Empire State Building, but despite all these iconic landmarks, it ended up being the least patriotic state in America. The rich history and diverse culture weren’t able to rescue it from reaching a dead end.
The rankings might answer your confusion. The state came in at 45 for civic engagement, and what made it worse was its position for military engagement. All these leave this significant part of America at 49 with a grieving score of 21.64. With this status, it tops the list of least patriotic states in all of America.
To Wrap Up:
Tagging a state as “least patriotic” is quite a tricky task. It is certainly not an accurate representation of the entire population. If you scavenge through any of the states mentioned in the list; chances are high that you may find some patriotic people or communities who are sure to be offended by this data crunching.
Unfortunately, the results only show demographic inactivity on a few benchmarks that WalletHub set. Before jumping to any conclusions, it is safe to say that these states have citizens who love their country from the bottom of their hearts. If you liked our post, don’t forget to share it with your friends to spread the knowledge.
