Raleigh – Among the 50 states, North Carolina ranks in the middle of the pack for open, ethical and accountable government, a national watchdog group says.

The Better Government Association's "Integrity Index" released last month ranks North Carolina No. 23.

The index found all states fall short on the group's good government benchmarks. It measures laws relating to open records, whistleblower protections, campaign finance, open meetings, and conflicts of interest.

New Jersey ranked the highest, followed by Rhode Island.

The worst-performing state was South Dakota, followed by Vermont.

State-by-state results are available at www.bettergov.org.