Image Credit: State Leadership Initiative & Mad Mismagius / Public Domain
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
A report by the newly created State Leadership Institute has demonstrated that the institutions in many so-called red states, like federal dependency, levels of bureaucracy, and cultural strength, are just as left-wing as their blue state counterparts, despite differing on major political issues.
Created in February of 2025, the State Leadership Institute (SLI) is a coalition-building organization aimed at ensuring red states operate in the best interests of GOP voters, including slashing needless regulations and spending, appointment of conservatives to state government positions, and advancing important legislation across the country.
The initiative is also emphasizing the need for conservatives to engage in issues within their own state governments just as much as those impacting the federal government.
SLI’s mission advocates, “Red states may have lower taxes and better business environments, but they are burdened by bureaucracies, regulatory regimes, and corporate welfare systems that in many cases put Blue States to shame. The existing right-of-center infrastructure in Red States has resulted in commendable progress- but the facts don’t lie.”
Those facts include examination of numerous metrics which SLI used to determine that “Red states are failing to lead,” as most, “remain deeply entangled in the same bureaucratic bloat, cultural drift, and economic stagnation that afflict its blue counterparts. Yes, there are meaningful policy differences- lower taxes, more permissive gun laws, pro-life protections- but these often operate in a framework that remains fundamentally unchanged…These are conservative policies layered atop a progressive foundation.”
Overall, the report found:
- 7 of the 10 most federally dependent states are red
- Regulation is as bad, or worse, in red states compared to blue
- Crime is higher in red states, with less crimes solved; Six of the top nine most violent states are red
- Government staffing per capita is virtually indistinguishable between red and blue states
- Most red states have fewer than 50% of teens raised in intact families
- In both red and blue states, less than half of public K-12 employees are teachers; majority are administrative staff
- Many red states have more university bureaucrats per capita than deep-blue states
And Tennessee was no exception to their findings. While Idaho ranked highest overall with a score of 72.8, the Volunteer State ranked #20 with an overall index score of 51.3. The red state average was 53.5 and the blue state average was 43.4.
To calculate the overall score, three sub-categories were measured- governance, economic, and culture. The governance sub-index captured “the effectiveness and ideological alignment of a state’s bureaucracy”, by examining factors including how much control elected officials have, a state’s percentage of revenue from federal funding, education spending per student, and the net number of oppositions to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) measures.
Economic vitality examined whether a state is building a sustainable foundation for long-term growth. Factors measured include rapid expansion of state budgets, regulation counts, and the percentage of the population on SNAP/TANF welfare benefits.
Finally, to evaluate the health and resilience of communities, cultural strength was gauged on elements like the percentage of prime-aged adults that are married, total fertility rate, violent crime rates, median homebuyer age, and migration rates to other states.
Tennessee scored highest in the governance sub-index with a score of 71, making it the highest scoring state overall in this category, but scored only a 40 in economic vitality and a 39.6 in cultural strength. This placed the state at #39 in both categories.
Yet the report also notes that there are “signs of promise” with some red states building significant industrial capacity, including new manufacturing plants, and notable ESG resistance is growing as legislation and executive orders are being aimed at curbing ideological compliance in finance and procurement.
Concluding with a call to action, SLI reiterates that, “isolated victories are not enough. Conservative governance must not aim to imitate blue-state decline more slowly. It must build something better. That means streamlining institutions, cutting ideological bloat, restoring order to cities, reviving the family, and building economic foundations that actually serve people- not just GDP charts. If red states want to lead, they must govern accordingly.”
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Thanx! We’re not bad but have LOTS of NEED to improve. We can’t improve with TNGOP ginning out RINOs and the ignorant sheeple voting them in.
“Many red states have more university bureaucrats per capita than deep-blue states…”
Infestations of lucifer’s accursed anti-American dimmercraps, poisoning our young minds.