Study: Politically Engaged States – Arizona Ranks Near Bottom at 42nd

A study, conducted by personal finance social network WalletHub, looked at six metrics — measures of voter registration and turnout, political spending and civic education engagement — and found that Massachusetts topped the list in terms of engagement. West Virginia ranked dead last. Arizona ranked close to the bottom ranked 42 of the 50 states.

In order to find the most and least politically engaged Americans, WalletHub analyzed each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia across six key metrics. The data set is listed below. Two of the metrics — namely the percentages of “Citizens Who Actually Voted in the 2010 Midterm Elections” and “Citizens Who Actually Voted in the 2012 Elections”— received the heaviest weights, as these tend to be the strongest indicators of an individual’s civic participation.

• Percentage of Registered Voters in the 2012 Presidential Election: Full Weight
• Percentage of Citizens Who Actually Voted in the 2010 Midterm Elections: Double Weight
• Percentage of Citizens Who Actually Voted in the 2012 Presidential Election: Double Weight
• Change in Percentage of Citizens Who Actually Voted in the 2012 Elections compared with the 2008 Elections: Full Weight
• Total Political Contributions per Adult Population: Full Weight
• Civic Education Engagement: Half Weight

The study also found that political engagement, as WalletHub defined it, was closely correlated with a more highly educated population, higher per capita economic output and fairer tax systems. Blue states were more engaged than red states.

Here’s a look at their rankings mapped out: (Some argue that because Washington, D.C., which ranks fourth, is not a state it would be better compared to cities.) For full story with graphs see  WalletHub.