Why legislators should pay attention to Best States rankings, even if they’re wrong
How do we know if a legislator is doing a good job? That debate is the heart of electoral campaigns, but we can at least look to bills passed, fundraising numbers, or re-election prospects for a more objective analysis.
How do we know if a legislature as a whole is doing a good job? The institution does not get re-elected, nor do collective fundraising numbers tell us much about this.
This is relevant not just for citizens seeking the best possible government, but also for those involved in politics. Stock traders can measure themselves against market performance. Basketball coaches know if their teams made the playoffs. How does a legislator get a sense check of how they’re doing between elections?
One way is through indices like the Best States index. These can be an incredibly useful tool for legislators - even if they are inaccurate.
What’s in an Index
The Best States Index from U.S. News and World Report “show how each of the 50 U.S. states ranks in 71 metrics across eight categories. The data behind the rankings aims to show how well states serve their residents in a variety of ways.”
The report scores each state on those 71 metrics, from child wellness visits to air quality to job growth. Those scores are then averaged into sub-categories, which are then combined into the eight categories, which are weighted based on surveys of what matters most to people.
Health Care: 15.97%
Education: 15.94%
Economy: 13.36%
Infrastructure: 12.93%
Opportunity: 12.29%
Fiscal Stability: 11.36%
Crime & Corrections: 9.16%
Natural Environment: 8.99%
The results give us a picture of which state scores best in each category and which is best overall. For 2021, Washington State, Minnesota, Utah, New Hampshire, and Idaho filled out the top five.
Is the index accurate?
Football coach Bill Parcells once said “you are what your record says you are.” For political indices like the Best States, it’s not so obvious this is true.
The data used to estimate the quality of life in states can be subjective even when it’s objective. To be sure, unemployment is an clear and objective metric, but what weighting should it be given when compared to job growth or business environment? That is a decision for whoever creates the index.
This also means that an index can be volatile. Iowa, for example, fell from the best overall state in 2018 to 14th in 2019. Did it really get so much worse in twelve months? Or did thirteen other states get so much better?
Probably not. More likely, the composition of the index, the scoring system used, noise in the data, slight changes in the differences between states, or a combination of all, led to Iowa’s precipitous fall. An index of states, cities, or countries is an approximate estimate of their relative standing, not an absolute measurement.
So why are indices still useful?
State legislators represent a single geographical area and work in a single state. This can be a good thing, allowing legislators to truly understand the needs of those they represent. But it can also blind them to problems that have been accepted as part of life.
Imagine, for example, a legislator in Massachusetts. He or she complains about traffic and hears complaints about the cost of housing. But is this to be expected – a part of the human condition that people always complain about – or is this a problem specific to Massachusetts?
Looking at the Best States Index gives an idea. Massachusetts is ranked 9th overall. That’s pretty good and the state is in the top five on health care, education, crime, and the natural environment. But it’s ranked 42nd in infrastructure, 36th in opportunity, and 48th in affordability.
The index clearly paints the broad picture and answers the question. Transportation and housing costs are a problem particularly acute in Massachusetts. How that should be addressed is a matter of political debate, but the indices have directed attention at the issue.
But what if you think that the index is completely wrong? You may think that comparing median housing cost to median family income doesn’t capture the true nature of housing affordability? Even in that case, the index is useful. A debate about what is or is not the best metric for evaluating housing affordability helps us understand the issue and gets us closer to the correct policy solution.
The benefit of an index lies, not only in the numbers it produces, but the debate that it can generate that takes us out of our own usual perspective and forces us to consider what matters, what we should get done, and how we measure.
How does Legislata help
Indices further data-driven governance. So does Legislata. By more easily tracking what constituents are saying, we can help you have a picture of what matters in your district so you can more efficiently and effectively serve your district.