Arizona: Anatomy of a strange state

Demography explains the rest. Many states have lots of old white people and lots of young minorities. But Arizona stands out: William Frey at the Brookings Institution puts its “cultural generation gap”—the white share of the over-65 population minus the white share of under-18s—at 41%, higher than any other state (see chart). Many retirees adore Joe Arpaio, the immigrant-baiting sheriff of Maricopa County (greater Phoenix, roughly).