The second portion of a three-part study shows Delaware ranking 10th in quality of life, despite losing ground in the poverty rate. At the same time, the state a showed a decline in its ranking from the first to the second half of the study period, which started in 1992. Maryland ranked 12th in the report, with Pennsylvania at No. 25.
The study was released by the Lucy Burns Institute, a Madison, Wis.-based think tank. The study came out of Burns’ Ballotpedia, a nonprofit collaborative encyclopedia. According to Geoff Pallay, lead author, “The purpose of this study was to answer the question: Which partisan control setup leads to the greatest quality of life outcomes for citizens?” The study established a State Quality of Life Index, aggregating 19 different existing state indices into one measurement. The study covered 1992 to 2012. The state with the top aggregate ranking during the 21-year period was New Hampshire. Ranking 50th was Mississippi. The use of the indices is designed to balance out some of the differences in rankings. Delaware, at various times, ranks high or low in various rankings.
Minnesota finished second overall and placed in the top five every year of the study. Only Mississippi and West Virginia finished in the bottom five every year from 1992 through 2012. Nevada placed one year in the top five (2005) as well as one year in the bottom five (2012). The state has been suffering from high employment and foreclosure rates
The three states that experienced the greatest improvement from 1992 to 2012 were Texas, North Carolina, and North Dakota. The three states that saw the biggest decline in their rankings from start to finish were Nevada, Connecticut, and Illinois.
Delaware has been taking a hit of late from economic growth that is at or below the national rate after decades of outperforming the national economy. The state still ranks high in per capita income, gross state product and state credit rating.
On the minus side, Delaware lost ground on its poverty ranking, moving from lowest in the nation to 22nd.
Part One of the study, published in May, examined partisan control of state government from 1992 through 2013. Part Three of the study, scheduled for release this month, will analyze the correlation between quality of life and partisanship in the states.
The Lucy Burns Institute was formed after a Wisconsin woman had difficulty in getting Freedom of Information Act requests. That work moved into other areas, including the link between partisanship, government and quality of life.
The institute has been criticized by liberal groups, such as the Center for Media and Democracy, also based in Madison, for ties to conservative organizations.
Click here for the full report.
