Massachusetts, California Top 'New Economy' Potential

Five states -- Massachusetts, California, Colorado, Washington, and Connecticut -- respectively are the best prepared to capitalize on the technology-driven "new economy," indicates a report from the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), a Washington, D.C., think tank. Not only are the five states at the forefront of the information-technology revolution, but they also have highly educated workforces, globally oriented manufacturers, solid "infrastructures for innovation," and "dynamic business environments creating large numbers of jobs in fast growing companies," says the report. Ranked as the bottom five states in declining order are Montana, Louisiana, West Virginia, Arkansas, and last, Mississippi. PPI, an arm of the Democratic Leadership Council, an organization of centrist Democrats, ranks all 50 states in the report, The State New Economy Index. Regionally, it finds that 17 of the top 20 states in the index are in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, Mountain West, and Pacific states. In contrast, 17 of the 20 states ranked lowest in embracing the new economy are in the Midwest, the Great Plains, and the South.