Maybe it’s because all the smart people from California got out when they could.  I first saw a version of this map last week, but it wasn’t all that clear.  There weren’t any specific numbers, just shading.  My sister sent me this link with much more detail.  Looking at the rankings, there are a lot of short buses in California, and pretty much across the Southwest.

Idaho’s average intelligence quotient is almost a full six points above the average Californian.  Why do people there continue to get mismanaged government?  Because they have fecal matter for brains.

We’re slightly smarter than Oregonians.  I’m sure the coastal cities weigh down the average.  Washington is slightly higher than Idaho.  I suspect it’s because some older tech titans from the slide rule days can still think on their own.

Montana and Wyoming have higher scores than Idaho.  Northern states (minus a few liberal places along the Great Lakes) are smarter than the average bear.

There are going to be many factors involved in the rankings, and liberals will try and avoid one in particular.  New England has a lot of liberals, but also high IQ scores.  It can’t be dismissed as cold weather and snow shovels making our brains bigger.  I’m not passing any judgment, but is it possible all these northern states with averages above 100 have a larger share of the population that’s Caucasian?

Now, maybe the liberals are right, and IQ tests are culturally biased.  Still, a lot of places with lower IQs appear to have much more dependency on the government than elsewhere.  Does that suggest some people need the government to compensate?