Nearly every U.S. state is riddled with corruption

A 50-state study conducted by the Center for Public Integrity found that just three states — Alaska, California, and Connecticut — scored above a D+ when graded on a standard A-F scale for corruption, transparency, and accountability in government. Most states received a D grade, but 11, shown in red on the map below, failed completely.

The survey ranked states in 13 categories, including auditing processes, lobbying disclosure, ethics enforcement, and campaign finance. Considered individually, these sections did offer a few bright spots: Nebraska, for instance, is really good at state budget processes, and Ohio received high marks for state pension management.

But things aren't looking up for Michigan, which ranked at the bottom of all 50 states — and failed in 10 of the 13 categories.

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