Unraveling the Mystery: Which U.S. States Dominate Public Attention?

In a quest reminiscent of Captain Ahab's pursuit of the white whale, data analysts at the Department of Data have embarked on a mission to measure which U.S. states receive disproportionate attention. This elusive metric could potentially unlock insights into the nation's politics and culture, revealing which parts of America truly shape the national narrative.

To tackle this challenge, the team turned to an unexpected source: Wikipedia page views. By analyzing English-language Wikipedia traffic for all U.S. states and territories since 2015, including nearly 3,000 redirect pages, they hoped to quantify public interest in each state.

The results paint an intriguing picture. California tops the list in raw page views, aligning with its status as the most populous state since 1963. However, when adjusted for population, smaller states dominate the rankings, revealing a "Wikipedia electoral college" effect. This phenomenon ensures a baseline level of attention for each state, regardless of population size.

Interestingly, Western states, particularly Alaska and Hawaii, receive disproportionate attention. Despite ranking 48th and 40th in population respectively, they both appear in the top five for Wikipedia traffic. This anomaly may be partially explained by international interest, as both states have more non-English Wikipedia views than English views since 2016.

Cultural factors also play a role in shaping state popularity. For instance, Montana's international views surged during the peak of the TV show "Yellowstone," highlighting the impact of pop culture on global perceptions of U.S. states.

The analysis also revealed some surprising findings:

• Washington, D.C. would top the state charts if included, functioning more like a city in terms of Wikipedia traffic.
• U.S. territories like Puerto Rico and American Samoa receive outsized attention, possibly due to their unique status.
• Northeastern states generally receive more attention than expected, while Southern and Midwestern states are often overlooked.
• Iowa, Indiana, and South Carolina appear to be the most "forgotten" states based on the analysis.

"A February poll of over 35,000 U.S. adults found that Alaska appears to be the state most likely to secede, while only 14% of Rhode Islanders believe their state could or should be independent."

The study also considered factors such as tourism, secession sentiment, and state superlatives. Delaware, for example, outranks many larger states, possibly due to its status as "The First State" to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

Despite these insights, the ultimate goal of definitively measuring which states receive too much attention remains elusive. The Wikipedia data, while informative, is influenced by various factors, including student research, international interest, and random curiosity.

As the Department of Data continues its quest, they invite readers to contribute their own ideas and queries. Like Ahab's pursuit of Moby Dick, the search for the perfect measure of state attention may be never-ending, but the journey itself reveals fascinating aspects of American culture and perception.