Thank heavens for Illinois.
A recent Gallup poll asked people how confident they were in their state government. One one in four Illinois residents said they have confidence in their state government, the lowest figure among the 50 states. Rhode Island and Connecticut residents were almost equally dissatisfied, with 33 percent and 39 percent, respectively, saying they have confidence in their state government.
On the other hand, North Dakota residents are the most trusting, with 81 percent saying they do have confidence in their state government and 18 percent saying they don't.
Where does Alabama land? See for yourself:
Places with the least confidence in their state government.
(Percentages reflect those who said they have confidence in their state government.)
- Illinois - 25 percent
- Rhode Island - 33 percent
- Connecticut - 39 percent
- New Jersey - 41 percent
- Louisiana - 44 percent
- Kansas - 45 percent
- Pennsylvania - 46 percent
- New York - 46 percent
- Maine - 48 percent
- Alabama - 48 percent
In other words, 48 percent of Alabamians have confidence the elected officials in Montgomery will do the right thing. Fifty-one percent don't and 1 percent isn't sure.
Does party politics play a role? Not so much, according to Gallup, which found there was little difference in the confidence in government depending on whether the governor of the state is a Republican or Democrat. Average confidence is 58 percent in states led by a Republican chief executive and 55 percent in states led by a Democrat.