Posted on 03/29/2013 8:52:07 AM PDT by JustSayNoToNannies
Sometimes I myopically focus on fiscal policy, implying that the key to prosperity is small government.
But I’ll freely admit that growth if maximized when you have small government AND free markets.
That being said, our goal should be to expand freedom, not merely to have the largest possible GDP.
Which is why the Freedom Index is a good complement to Economic Freedom of the World.
It shows, for instance, that Singapore may be ranked #2 for economic freedom, but it is only #39 when you look at all freedoms.
We also have a comprehensive ranking of economic and personal freedom for the 50 states.
Here are the full rankings from the newly released Freedom in the 50 States from the Mercatus Center, showing North Dakota as the state with the most freedom, with South Dakota (#2), Tennessee (#3), New Hampshire (#4), and Oklahoma (#5) also deserving praise for high scores.
What makes Freedom in the 50 States so interesting is that you can mix and match variables based on your own preferences.
I checked the “fiscal” and “tax burden” categories, and South Dakota (no state income tax!) jumped to #1 for both of those measures.
You won’t be surprised to learn that New York is the worst state, not only overall, but also for various fiscal policy measures.
Who would have guessed, by the way, that there’s a “bachelor party” category based on laws governing alcohol, marijuana, prostitution, and fireworks. Interesting, Massachusetts is ranked #1, though I suspect most guys will still opt for #3-ranked Nevada.
P.S. I must be learning. I grew up in New York, which is #50 in the rankings of freedom in the states, and then in Connecticut, which ranks only #40. But I went to college in Georgia, which is #9 in the rankings, and I now live in the Virginia, which is #8. But I somehow doubt that I’ll ever wind up in North Dakota.
This is about drugs, isn’t it.
Well, it ain’t about home schooling, the Dakotas are below average in that regard.
Can’t get the list.
How in God’s green earth is Wyoming in the bottom half of ths list? Sure they didn’t mix up Colorado and Wyoming?
No state income tax, no restrictions on firearms, low state sales tax. This list goes on and on.
He’s writing about a list that he doesn’t link to?
If you find it, post it. I've looked on all the sources associated witht he article I can find. Best I can tell, there is no list available.
This is why I want to see the list and data.
It’s a PDF.
http://mercatus.org/sites/all/modules/custom/mercatus_50_states/files/Freedom50States2011.pdf
Page 17 has the actual ranking.
I had to google it because the link in the article 404’d.
STATE
OVERALL FREEDOM
1. New Hampshire
0.441
2. South Dakota
0.414
3. Indiana
0.344
4. Idaho
0.343
5. Missouri
0.315
6. Nevada
0.315
7. Colorado
0.303
8. Oregon
0.285
9. Virginia
0.274
10. North Dakota
0.225
11. Florida
0.224
12. Oklahoma
0.223
13. Iowa
0.221
14. Texas
0.211
15. Georgia
0.188
16. Tennessee
0.168
17. Kansas
0.161
18. North Carolina
0.158
19. Alabama
0.151
20. Utah
0.141
21. Wyoming
0.119
22. Arizona
0.092
23. Nebraska
0.082
24. Mississippi
0.061
25. Wisconsin
0.026
26. South Carolina
0.014
27. Michigan
0.013
28. Arkansas
0.000
29. Montana
–0.007
30. Vermont
–0.047
31. Pennsylvania
–0.050
32. Kentucky
–0.053
33. Maine
–0.060
34. Minnesota
–0.140
35. Louisiana
–0.143
36. West Virginia
–0.146
37. New Mexico
–0.178
38. Connecticut
–0.180
39. Delaware
–0.196
40. Washington
–0.196
41. Illinois
–0.200
42. Ohio
–0.215
43. Maryland
–0.268
44. Alaska
–0.300
45. Rhode Island
–0.383
46. Massachusetts
–0.393
47. Hawaii
–0.445
48. California
–0.487
49. New Jersey
–0.505
50. New York
–0.752
Thanks. Colorado is 7. That’s crap. I guess if you’re a homo pot-smoker, you’re good.
MN-—34th and with the country’s 4th largest legislature that meets EVERY year...coincidence?
That was 2011. A lot of bad has happened since then.
Do you see anything there about drugs? Has boozing made you paranoid or hallucinatory?
Too much of US time, energy and fortune is spent trying to manipulate data electronically rather than in creating anything tangible or actually providing anything of real substance.
It is the modern era’s electronic equivalent of Nero’s fiddle.
If we don’t change course soon, our legacy will be the most intensly detailed and documented record of a great nation’s collapse in the history of the world.
The Red Hampshire Chamber of Commerce must be paying for this...
Actually, I was surprised, given what a repressive, over-taxed, over-regulated Hellhole that California has become.
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