NASHVILLE – Despite scoring only a “D” grade, Tennessee nonetheless placed 15th in a new national analysis of states’ transparency and accountability measures aimed at promoting good government and deterring corruption.
Tennessee scored 66, earning it the No. 15 spot among the 50 states, according to the “State Integrity Investigation” study conducted by the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity and Global Integrity.
Researchers applied 245 measurements in 13 broad categories of government operations. The report does not purport to assess actual levels of public corruption.
Georgia was awarded a D- based on a score of 63, which placed it as No. 24 among states. Two years ago, the state received an F. Comparatively speaking, Alabama is somewhat of a star with a D+ grade and score of 67.
That earned it the No. 7 ranking nationwide.