This website, and the numerous data applications it contains, provides a resource to enhance public engagement
by providing comparative data at the state level, all in a single place.

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Louis Brandeis famously described states as “laboratories of democracy.” Our goal is to give you the tools to compare the performance of the 50 states and use these insights to challenge the status quo in your own state. By exploring a range of rankings, we aim to help you ask pointed questions of public leaders and hold elected officials accountable for progress. If one state outperforms yours in key areas, you have the right—and perhaps the obligation—to demand improvement over time.

While each state has its own set of priorities shaped by its legislature, they share several overarching goals:

• An effective and efficient governance, free of corruption.
• Safe communities and a fair, functional justice system for law-abiding citizens
• A robust economy that provides high-wage jobs, a stable tax base, and ample opportunities for all walks of life.
• An education system that prepares young people, regardless of their needs or abilities, for their future.
• A clean and healthy environment for both present and future generations.
• Safe, reliable infrastructure to support economic activity and daily life.
• A social safety net that's both effective and efficient.

States that excel in achieving these broad goals are more likely to retain current residents and attract new ones. They also serve as models of what’s possible and provide roadmaps for how other states can achieve better outcomes.

While every state has its own unique characteristics, we believe that making 50-state data more accessible across a wide range of issues can help spread best practices. By doing so, we can fulfill the role of states as laboratories of democracy. At a time when public trust in elected officials is at a historic low, we need new tools that drive progress and help states meet their responsibilities to their citizens.