This is something I feel kind of confused about.

I live in Iowa, and we keep getting shit on from the national media for not having gone into "official" lockdown.

Everything I've heard / read suggests we're in exactly the same amount of lockdown as anyone else. We just aren't calling it that.

Governors need to know their state and people so if most everyone is staying home and doing some recreational activities then an official health order may not be necessary. But typically what you see is that businesses full of contractors and/or near bankruptcy do not have the leadership to close down - the consequences and blowback is too high for them and they need a third party to force it. So barber shops, dental offices etc are doing silly things. Churches like tithes and the incentives are misaligned for them not to play on people's angst.