Congrats, Virginia residents! We are the most patriotic state in America, according to a new study.
It's no surprise that Virginia is a patriotic state. We live right next door to the nation's capital and are home to many military bases and historic sites. But just how patriotic are we? A new study says we are the most patriotic state in the country!
WalletHub, the personal finance website, conducted a study examining 13 key metrics to find out which state was the most patriotic. They examined factors such as average military enlistees, proportion of veterans, share of adults who voted in the 2016 presidential election, volunteer rate, and frequency of Google searches for American flags, among other factors.
Virginia ranked No. 1 with a total score of 70.48, with a "Military Engagement" rank of 5, and a "Civic Engagement" rank of 10.
Virginia is followed by Alaska, Wyoming, South Carolina, and Idaho. Bringing in the rear are Connecticut, New York, Illinois, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Massachusetts in last place.
The study also found some other insightful information. Alaska was found to have the most veterans per capita while New York had the least. Vermont had the most Peace Corps volunteers per capita, and Maine had the highest percentage of adults who voted in the 2016 presidential election, followed by Wisconsin, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Minnesota.
The study then looked at whether red states or blue states are more patriotic. They found that overall, red states were more patriotic (with an average rank of 23.57) while blue states had an average rank of 28.40.
While patriotism may traditionally be associated with Republicans, the experts discuss how it is difficult to define patriotism in one single way. Thomas Cushman, Professor of Sociology at Wellesley College notes in the study, "A good patriot, in a sociological sense, would be someone who deeply loves their country and expresses that love through active and committed citizenship that has positive consequences."
The study provides some interesting information and gives us an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be patriotic right in time for the Fourth of July.
What do you think? How would you define patriotism? What are your Fourth of July plans? Let us know in the comments below!
