With the Fourth of July approaching but America troubled by issues like high inflation and elevated homicide rates, the personal-finance website WalletHub recently released its report on 2023’s Most Patriotic States in America.
To determine where Americans have the most red, white and blue pride, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 13 key indicators of patriotism. The data set ranged from the state’s military enlistees and veterans to the share of adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election to AmeriCorps volunteers per capita. Following are some additional highlights from the report.
The most patriotic states were Virginia, coming in at number one, followed by Montana, Alaska, North Dakota, Maine, Vermont, Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming and New Hampshire, rounding out the top 10. Hawaii was ranked number 11, followed by Maryland, Washington, Iowa, Delaware, South Dakota, Utah, Idaho, Kansas and, at number 20, Arizona.
Key Stats
Blue states are more patriotic, with an average ranking of 25.20, compared with 25.80 for red states (1 = Best).
Alaska has the most veterans per 1,000 civilian adults, 134, which is 2.9 times more than in New Jersey, the state with the fewest at 47.
New Jersey has the highest share of adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election, 78.30 percent, which is 1.5 times higher than in Arkansas, the state with the lowest at 54.00 percent.
Utah has the highest volunteer rate, 40.70 percent, which is 2.6 times higher than in Florida, the state with the lowest at 15.90 percent.
To view the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/most-patriotic-states/13680
Expert Commentary
What are the characteristics of a good patriot?
“A true patriot believes in the founding principles of this country that was so eloquently expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as well as Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, FDR Four Freedoms, Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. A true patriot works to be a positive influence in advancing those principles but is also someone who is not afraid to speak out when the nation itself is not living up to those principles. If you love your country you must work to make the reality in the United States more closely resemble the ideal image we have of ourselves. We have to ‘be true’, as Martin Luther King said in his last speech, ‘to what we put down on paper.’ A true patriot does not believe in ‘my country, right or wrong;’ but will do all they can to make sure the country is doing what is right.”
Ralph Young – Professor, Temple University
“The concepts of ‘Patriot’ and ‘Patriotism’ have evolved or devolved over the recent decades depending on your viewpoint. A Patriot ought to have the characteristics of one who loves their country and wants to further its best interests. One who puts those interests ahead of their own and is free from purely political motivations. A Patriot understands the value of freedom and the costs that are associated with its acquisition and preservation.”
Ron Washburn – Senior Lecturer, Bryant University
Should we be raising our children as global citizens first or as Americans first?
“I think we should be raising our children to first be global citizens and then as Americans. Technology has made the world incredibly interconnected. Our children are using technology in ways we did not growing up so it would make sense for our kids to be raised as global citizens. Additionally, Americans need to be less American-centric. Contrary to the socialization of many Americans, the world does not revolve around the United States. An American first orientation breeds insularity and a close-mindedness that, ironically, does not effectively serve the interests of the United States globally. Our children need to understand the importance of having a global perspective that ultimately makes the United States more competitive.”
Kevin Cokley, Ph.D. – Professor; Associate Chair for Diversity Initiatives, University of Michigan
“Both! I think it is very clear here in 2023 that our actions have an impact on our fellow Americans, but also on our fellow humans and children should be made aware of that. Nonetheless, here in America, we grow up to play a fundamental role in how our country operates. We truly are a government by the people. And thus, proper American citizenship requires genuine knowledge of and participation in our shared government. That just does not happen at a global level, so, in that sense, American citizenship comes first.”
Steven Greene – Professor, North Carolina State University
What is the relative influence of economic incentives versus patriotic intentions when deciding whether or not to join the military? Has this changed over time?
“Young people choose military service for a wide variety of reasons. Aside from periods when a country actually seems threatened, though, patriotism does not seem to be the driving force. The pay and benefits, not to mention the prestige and discipline, that come with military service may entice some young Americans to enlist – but the military is a profession, and increasingly our volunteer armed forces rely on families who are already part of the military way of life, who prepare their children for such service. Of course, those families may consider loyalty to the military as being part of their definition of patriotism, in which case we might say that the military depends more on patriotism than it used to.”
D. Stephen Voss – Associate Professor, University of Kentucky
“These have always been factors and they do change over time, but probably more in response to the country’s overall economic situation than anything else. When good jobs are hard to come by, the economic security of the military is very attractive. In times like now, with very low unemployment, the military must rely more on patriotism and a desire to serve in order to recruit members. Currently, recruitment is falling short because that is not enough and the economic incentives are important, too.”
Steven Greene – Professor, North Carolina State University
