Socialism has always been popular in America, which had us wondering about the 11 most socialist states in America right now. First, it is important to understand what exactly socialism is. Socialists intend to establish a system in the country which exhibits democracy as well as public, employees or citizen ownership, otherwise known as social ownership. While socialism has many definitions and there isn’t a specific consensus regarding the meaning of socialism, social ownership tends to be the common factor amongst all the definitions, and hence is the essential factor.
The United States has had a long history with socialism, which can be traced back to the early 1800s, and led to the emergence of the Socialist Labor Party, which was founded by German, British or Jewish immigrants. Socialists have played a historical role in the United States, being integral to the worldwide implementation of International Worker’s Day as well as ensuring 8 hour days for workers.
Socialism has had a storied history in America, struggling against McCarthyism in the 60s while also playing an integral part in the Civil Rights Movement which was initiated around the same time.
However, despite the history, socialism has never gained much speed in the US, with many associating it with communist dictatorships which in turn led to the movement being stigmatized and considered to be completely powerless in the country. In fact, a recent poll in 2015 stated that 50% of all the people participating in the poll would refuse to vote for a socialist in a presidential election. Despite this, there is a socialist currently running to become the next president of the United States, in longtime Senator Bernie Sanders.
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While socialism may not have a national foothold, it does dominate in some states. We tried to determine the 11 most social states in America right now. Of course, due to the aforementioned differences in the definition of socialism, it is hard to assess which state promotes socialism and which state suppresses it. In order to do this, we determined the total GDP of each state from the US Debt Clock while also determining the state expenditure according to a report from Nasbo. We then calculated state spending as a percentage of total GSP for each state and used the result to determine our rankings. You might even be interested in finding out how these compare to our rankings of the most socialist states in America, which was conducted in 2010.
Without further ado, here are the most socialist states in America, starting from number 11.
11. Wisconsin
Gross State Product (in millions): $293,126
Total state spending in 2015: $45,397
State spending as a percentage of gross state product: 15.487%
10. Kentucky
Gross State Product (in millions): $194,300
Total state spending in 2015: $31,342
State spending as a percentage of gross state product: 16.131%
9. Hawaii
Gross State Product (in millions): $78,110
Total state spending in 2015: $12,869
State spending as a percentage of gross state product: 16.475%
8. Vermont
Gross State Product (in millions): $30,723
Total state spending in 2015: $5,429
State spending as a percentage of gross state product: 17.671%
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7. New Mexico
Gross State Product (in millions): $95,310
Total state spending in 2015: $17,091
State spending as a percentage of gross state product: 17.932%
6. Wyoming
Gross State Product (in millions): $48,538
Total state spending in 2015: $8,837
State spending as a percentage of gross state product: 18.206%
5. Arkansas
Gross State Product (in millions): $129,745
Total state spending in 2015: $23,804
State spending as a percentage of gross state product: 18.347%
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4. Rhode Island
Gross State Product (in millions): $45,962
Total state spending in 2015: $8,920
State spending as a percentage of gross state product: 19.407%
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3. Mississippi
Gross State Product (in millions): $109,179
Total state spending in 2015: $21,199
State spending as a percentage of gross state product: 19.417%
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2. Alaska
Gross State Product (in millions): $60,542
Total state spending in 2015: $13,940
State spending as a percentage of gross state product: 23.025%
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1. West Virginia
Gross State Product (in millions): $78,050
Total state spending in 2015: $23,493
State spending as a percentage of gross state product: 30.1%
With its spending nearly a third of its total GSP, West Virginia tops the list of the most socialist states in America right now. It is no surprise that the Socialist Party of America maintained a strong presence in the state as well, having been established in 1910. However, socialism is no longer as much of a mainstay in the state as it used to be.
