Lists don't tell you the degree of difference.

FWIW, the political freedom list has lots of ties near the top and the US is tied with the UK. Both are significantly ahead of France and Italy. You remember the UK, France, and Italy - they're supposedly far above the US.

Then there's the problem that the "political freedom" list doesn't actually measure political freedom. As it says:

"The United States has climbed 16 places in the rankings, from 36th to 20th, in just one year. Barack Obama’s election as president and the fact that he has a less hawkish approach than his predecessor have had a lot to do with this.

But this sharp rise concerns only the state of press freedom within the United States. President Obama may have been awarded the Nobel peace prize, but his country is still fighting two wars."

Obama being elected or getting the Nobel Peace Prize didn't change political freedom in the US.

I expect that I'll find similar problems with the "corruption" ist.