The 10 most corrupt states in America revealed

An unfortunate reality of our government is corruption. Misused public funds, lawmakers taking backhanded bribes, and countless incidents of politicians behaving badly have become all too familiar things citizens expect from their governments. But ten U.S. states are proving that corruption isn't just a common occurrence, it's the norm.

Researchers from Indiana University and the City University of Hong Kong recently published a study that was able to identify the ten most corrupt states in the country. The criteria for this evaluation was based on how many instances a state violated an anti-corruption law from 1976 to 2008, and then comparing that number to the amount of government employees.

These states were also shown to grossly misuse public funds in a variety of capacities, costing taxpayers tens of billions of dollars per year. One of the most common forms of state government corruption was highway/interstate projects, where massive amounts of funding could be back-channeled and written off the books through under-the-table deals and maneuvers.

Check the gallery above to see the most corrupt states in America.