2020’s Most Rule-Defiant States in America
Some people are born rebels, and like everything else these days, there’s data to prove it.
In a time of tightening health restrictions, disobedience — civil or otherwise — has also become practically a national pastime. Displays of defiance at restaurants and mask-less rallies, for example, have spread across the country as COVID lockdowns are reimposed.
But the rule breaking isn’t limited to the pandemic — 2020 has seen an uptick in crime, too. And who could forget the most uncooperative presidential debate in history?
While defiance can be found anywhere and in anyone — even our leaders — not all states break the rules in equal measure.
To find out who’s the most defiant of them all, LawnStarter compared the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia across 31 indicators of rule-breaking behavior, from underage drinking to illegal gambling to the prevalence of COVID-19.
Our ranking, surprising findings, and methodology can be found below.
Highlights and Lowlights:
The Last Frontier: Alaska sits at the top of our rankings, and for good reason. Often called America’s last wilderness, Alaska is a vast, rugged landscape that draws the independently minded. With high scores across the board — especially in youth transgressions such as chronic school absence and bullying — Alaska is the No. 1 state for going your own way.
Calm Blue Water: While the most defiant states are spread across the United States, almost all states at the bottom of our list are reliably blue. Places like Minnesota and New Jersey rank particularly low on violent transgressions such as hate crimes and unintentional shootings. School dropout rates and other youth transgressions are also at the bottom in these compliant states. There’s no definitive answer as to why this is the case, but it could have to do with a sharp economic divide between some red and blue states.
Sin City: Nevada is a special case when it comes to defiance. While sitting in the middle of our rankings on youth and violent transgressions, it’s in the non-violent categories where the Silver State really shines. Nevada has more prostitution arrests than any other state, more than twice that of the next state (Illinois). Nevada also ranks high on illegal gambling arrests and adult drug users. While not as high on our list as might be expected for the home of Sin City, defiant Nevadans appear to hold their own.
Unassuming Delaware: Sometimes the most rebellious are the ones you least suspect: Delaware ranks surprisingly high in a few key categories. Delaware is far and above the No. 1 state for fraud and embezzlement arrests, possibly due to its unofficial status as a corporate tax haven. Delaware also ranks as the No. 2 state for registered sex offenders. While it may be called “The First State,” Delaware should be one of the last places to choose if you’re a rule-abiding visitor.
Our full ranking and analysis — plus insights from a panel of experts — can be found here: https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/most-defiant-states-in-us/