A newly released study names Alabama among the most corrupt states in the union over a three-decade period starting in the mid-1970s.
The study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Hong Kong and Indiana University, “estimates that corruption on the state level is costing Americans in the 10 most corrupt states an average of $1,308 per year, or 5.2% of those states’ average expenditures per year,” according to Fortune Magazine.
After looking at over 25,000 public corruption convictions between 1976 and 2008, along with patters in state spending, the researchers developed a “corruption index” that they believe accurately estimates which states have been the most corrupt.
Based on their research, the top 10 most corrupt states between 1976 and 2008 were as follows:
1. Mississippi
2. Louisiana
3. Tennessee
4. Illinois
5. Pennsylvania
6. Alabama
7. Alaska
8. South Dakota
9. Kentucky
10. Florida
The study also noted that spending patterns in the most corrupt states have some interesting similarities.
First of all, spending in 9 of the top 10 most corrupt states was higher overall than in less corrupt states, with South Dakota being the notable exception.
“All other things being equal, states with higher levels of public officials’ corruption are likely to have larger total expenditures,” the study explains.
But in addition to the level of spending, the research showed that the type of spending was markedly different in the most corrupt states.
“States with higher levels of corruption are likely to favor construction, salaries, borrowing, correction, and police protection at the expense of social sectors such as education, health and hospitals,” according to the study.
The paper argues that spending on major infrastructure initiatives is especially susceptible to corruption because it is hard for the public to gauge the quality and reasonable costs of such massive construction projects.
Democrats controlled the Alabama Legislature for the entire period of the study, as well as the governor’s office for 22 of the 32 years researched. But some of the few Republicans who were in office during that period contributed to the problem, too. Republican governor Guy Hunt, for instance, was convicted of conspiracy and ethics violations, which forced him to resign from office in 1993.
Republicans have also had some corruption issues since taking over the Legislature in 2010. Most recently, Republican State Representative Greg Wren pleaded guilty to using his official office for personal gain, and there is currently an ongoing investigation into public corruption in Lee County that has been the source of widespread speculation over the last year.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, the study says that the least corrupt states in the U.S. between 1976 and 2008 were Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Vermont, Utah, New Hampshire, Colorado, and Kansas.
Follow Cliff on Twitter @Cliff_Sims
