Virginia is rated the most patriotic state
The Commonwealth of Virginia is the nationês most patriotic state, based on factors such as voting participation, military engagement and civic engagement, according to an analysis by WalletHub.
Good patriots are engaged citizens who know their countryês history, follow its involvement in current events, and devote time and energy to its success, said Linda Moland, an associate professor of philosophy at Colby College who participated in the study.
Patriotism has been waning in recent years, with just 28 percent of Americans saying the United States is the best country in the world, according to Pew Research. But Virginia ranks high third in military engagement and fifth in civic engagement. Military engagement includes percentage of citizens who enlisted; and the number of active-duty military and veterans per capita. Civic engagement includes the percentage of Peace Corps volunteers and the percentage of citizens who voted in the most recent presidential election.
Maryland came in 18th overall, 29th in military engagement and 17th in civic engagement.
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