According to a new study, seven of the ten worst states to live in are completely controlled by Republicans.
Using data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) quality of life study, 24/7 Wall Street compiled a list of the ten states with the worst quality of life. Not surprisingly, states that are completely controlled by Republicans dominated the list.
Here are the ten most miserable places to live in America:
10). Georgia
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9). New Mexico
8). Louisiana
7). South Carolina
6). Oklahoma
5). Tennessee
4). West Virginia
3). Arkansas
2). Alabama
1). Mississippi
Nine of these ten states voted for Mitt Romney in 2012. New Mexico is the lone Obama state on the list. Seven of the ten states have Republican governors and Republican controlled state legislatures. Only one state on the list features a Democratic governor and a Democratic state legislature (West Virginia). In New Mexico, Democrats control the state House while Republicans control the Senate senate and governor. Arkansas has a Democratic governor, but a Republican controlled legislature.
The Republican controlled states on the list feature lower disposable income rates, low voter turnout rates, and high homicide rates. It is ironic that Republicans always campaign on being tough on crime, but their economic policies tend to lead to more poverty and crime.
It is logical that states controlled by a political party that believes in redistributing wealth to the rich would have widespread poverty, but it is the devastating consequences of these policies on the quality of life for the people who live there that get often overlooked.
These states aren’t just poor. They are difficult places to live in. Existence in these red states is more difficult that it is in places that feature more income and less crime. When ideology is turned into policy, it will have a real, and devastating impact. This data should be an eye opener for the majority of voters in these states, but many of these residents have been voting against their own self-interest for decades.
Proof that this behavior is bad for their health isn’t going to change their Republican voting ways anytime soon.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
