Report: Red states more patriotic than blue states

The personal finance website, WalletHub, released its list of the most patriotic states, revealing that red states are more patriotic in their military and civic engagement than blue states.

When combining military and civic engagement, Virginia takes the No. 1 spot as the most patriotic state, ranking No. 3 in military engagement and No. 6 in civic engagement. New Jersey came in last place overall.

Alaska takes the lead in the military engagement category with the highest number of veterans at 100.8 per 1,000 residents. That’s two times higher than New York, with 45.5 people.

“[Joining the military] seems more like a cultural thing than a true ‘patriotism’ thing,” said Steven Greene, associate professor of political science at North Carolina State University. He drew the stark contrast between those in rural areas, like Alaska, and the south, where military service is disproportionally more “revered and culturally engrained” than the north.

However, Theresa Martinez, associate professor of sociology at the University of Utah, says the military is more of an economic incentive. “A means to move out of poverty.”

The first category of civic engagement is voter turnout, as most Americans tout voting as a patriotic endeavor. When voting in the 2012 presidential election, Minnesota took the gold with a 74 percent voter turnout rate, while Arizona took last place at 38 percent.

Alison Dagnes, a professor of political science at Shippensburg University, wants to encourage running for elected office and volunteering to work for the country, not just in the military. She calls running for state office or U.S. Congress a “worthy pursuit” that all Americans should consider.

Another aspect of civic engagement in the report is Peace Corps participation, which Vermont leads at 59 people per 100,000 residents, 21 times higher than last place Mississippi.