The Most Conservative and Liberal Cities in Polarized America

We always say the best government is that which is closest to the people.

But do America's cities actually represent their constituents' politics or do power and influence rule the day at the local level?

While that existential question may never be definitively answered a massive study at MIT has explored the leanings of city governments on the traditional liberal versus conservative linear scale. The result is a ranking of America's cities with populations of more than 250,000 people.

That doesn't include Sioux Falls unfortunately -- we're currently right around that 250k mark in the metro and about 170k in the city limits -- but it's still interesting to see where we might rank.

Based on absolutely nothing but my guy, I'd put us in the low 20s out of the 67 ranked in the study. That would put us in the likes of Indianapolis and El Paso, Texas.

Our closest neighbors on the list are also a good measuring stick. Omaha is 8th most conservative while Minneapolis is 6th most liberal.

The winners at each end?

The top three conservative: Mesa, Ariz.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Virginia Beach, Virg.

The top three liberal: San Francisco, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; and Seattle, Wash.