Freedom in the 50 States - A Study from George Mason University (How free is your state?)

Mercatus Center -George Mason University ^ | Feb 2009 | Ruger & Sorens

[Larry - Moe and Curly]

From the Executive Summary: "This paper presents the first-ever comprehensive ranking of the American states on their public policies affecting individual freedoms in the economic, social, and personal spheres. (snip) ...defining individual freedom as the ability to dispose of one’s own life, liberty, and justly acquired property however one sees fit, so long as one does not coercively infringe on another individual’s ability to do the same."

Freedom in the 50 States

[Larry - Moe and Curly]

Find out how your state compares with others. Top 5 are New Hampshire ("However, as with all of the states, even New Hampshire has room for improvement, and post-2006 political changes in that state may mean that its ranking in this study will fall the next time we update the data and rankings."), Colorado, South Dakota, Idaho and Texas.

[Hoodat]

The bottom one-fifth are all Democrat havens. Figures.

41. Connecticut
42. Illinois
43. Massachusetts
44. Washington
45. Hawaii
46. Maryland
47. California
48. Rhode Island
49. New Jersey
50. New York

[Mamzelle]

I’m having a hard time getting at either of the links. Could someone post the list itself?

[mylife]

Sorry. its a PDF

[NewJerseyJoe]

ping to NJ FReepers

See post #2. Do you agree that we are #49, or do you think we're really #50?

[SoConPubbie]

Sorry, But we here in California are sure we are 50th.

[Red Steel]

Top 12.

Table V: Overall Freedom Ranking
State Overall Freedom

1. New Hampshire 0.432
2. Colorado 0.421
3. South Dakota 0.392
4. Idaho 0.356
5. Texas 0.346
6. Missouri 0.320
7. Tennessee 0.284
8. Arizona 0.279
9. Virginia 0.275
10. North Dakota 0.268
11. Utah 0.250
12. Kansas 0.210

[Incorrigible]

What a cruel pollster you are!

[ansel12]

[az_gila]

Start at this page...

http://www.statepolicyindex.com/?page_id=143

[Ballygrl]

Ping!

[NewJerseyJoe]

You have to add in “gun freedom.” That’s what pushes NJ to the bottom of the list.

[PGalt]

The laboratories of democracy have all become the stomping grounds of socialists.

[BufordP]

Table I: Fiscal Policy Ranking
1. New Hampshire 0.28
2. South Dakota 0.26
3. Tennessee 0.25
4. Texas 0.22
5. Colorado 0.21
6. Missouri 0.19
7. North Dakota 0.15
8. Montana 0.13
9. Georgia 0.13
10. Idaho 0.12
11. Oklahoma 0.11
12. Alabama 0.11
13. Nevada 0.11
14. Virginia 0.11
15. Arizona 0.09
16. Maryland 0.06
17. Wyoming 0.06
18. Illinois 0.05
19. Iowa 0.04
20. Utah 0.04
21. North Carolina 0.03
22. Mississippi 0.02
23. Massachusetts 0.02
24. Indiana 0.01
25. Florida 0.00
26. Connecticut -0.01
27. Oregon -0.01
28. Kansas -0.02
29. Louisiana -0.02
30. Delaware -0.02
31. Michigan -0.03
32. Pennsylvania -0.03
33. Arkansas -0.04
34. South Carolina -0.04
35. Minnesota -0.04
36. Kentucky -0.05
37. Washington -0.06
38. Nebraska -0.07
39. West Virginia -0.07
40. Ohio -0.07
41. Rhode Island -0.10
42. Wisconsin -0.13
43. New Jersey -0.17
44. California -0.19
45. New Mexico -0.19
46. Hawaii -0.21
47. Vermont -0.21
48. Maine -0.23
49. Alaska -0.35
50. New York -0.44

Table II: Regulatory Policy Ranking
1. Michigan 0.19
2. North Dakota 0.16
3. Pennsylvania 0.15
4. Kansas 0.15
5. Indiana 0.14
6. Idaho 0.14
7. Iowa 0.13
8. South Dakota 0.13
9. Utah 0.13
10. Georgia 0.13
11. Colorado 0.12
12. South Carolina 0.11
13. Nebraska 0.10
14. Arizona 0.10
15. Alabama 0.09
16. Delaware 0.07
17. Virginia 0.07
18. New Hampshire 0.06
19. Florida 0.05
20. Wyoming 0.04
21. Oklahoma 0.03
22. Missouri 0.02
23. Wisconsin 0.02
24. Alaska 0.01
25. Louisiana 0.01
26. North Carolina 0.01
27. Texas 0.00
28. Tennessee -0.01
29. Ohio -0.01
30. Minnesota -0.03
31. Montana -0.04
32. Kentucky -0.04
33. Nevada -0.05
34. Mississippi -0.05
35. Illinois -0.07
36. Hawaii -0.09
37. New Mexico -0.10
38. Oregon -0.10
39. Vermont -0.10
40. West Virginia -0.11
41. Arkansas -0.11
42. Connecticut -0.14
43. Massachusetts -0.15
44. New York -0.16
45. Washington -0.16
46. California -0.16
47. Maryland -0.17
48. Rhode Island -0.17
49. New Jersey -0.17
50. Maine -0.18

Table III: Economic Freedom Ranking
1. South Dakota 0.385
2. New Hampshire 0.345
3. Colorado 0.337
4. North Dakota 0.315
5. Idaho 0.257
6. Georgia 0.253
7. Texas 0.225
8. Tennessee 0.225
9. Missouri 0.210
10. Alabama 0.200
11. Arizona 0.190
12. Iowa 0.177
13. Virginia 0.175
14. Utah 0.164
15. Michigan 0.161
16. Indiana 0.159
17. Oklahoma 0.144
18. Kansas 0.126
19. Pennsylvania 0.120
20. Wyoming 0.098
21. Montana 0.096
22. South Carolina 0.062
23. Nevada 0.058
24. Delaware 0.052
25. Florida 0.047
26. North Carolina 0.041
27. Nebraska 0.036
28. Louisiana -0.012
29. Illinois -0.025
30. Mississippi -0.032
31. Minnesota -0.075
32. Ohio -0.081
33. Kentucky -0.086
34. Maryland -0.110
35. Wisconsin -0.111
36. Oregon -0.113
37. Massachusetts -0.133
38. Connecticut -0.142
39. Arkansas -0.148
40. West Virginia -0.177
41. Washington -0.219
42. Rhode Island -0.267
43. New Mexico -0.288
44. Hawaii -0.295
45. Vermont -0.310
46. New Jersey -0.337
47. Alaska -0.343
48. California -0.351
49. Maine -0.406
50. New York -0.596

Table IV: Personal Freedom Ranking
1. Alaska 0.272
2. Maine 0.193
3. New Mexico 0.138
4. Arkansas 0.125
5. Texas 0.121
6. Missouri 0.110
7. Oregon 0.104
8. Idaho 0.100
9. Virginia 0.100
10. Wyoming 0.095
11. Vermont 0.093
12. Arizona 0.089
13. New Hampshire 0.087
14. Utah 0.086
15. Kansas 0.085
16. Colorado 0.084
17. West Virginia 0.080
18. Tennessee 0.059
19. Indiana 0.049
20. Michigan 0.045
21. Montana 0.029
22. Mississippi 0.027
23. Florida 0.022
24. South Dakota 0.007
25. Iowa 0.006
26. Kentucky 0.003
27. Oklahoma -0.002
28. Hawaii -0.009
29. Pennsylvania -0.018
30. North Carolina -0.022
31. Minnesota -0.036
32. Nevada -0.045
33. North Dakota -0.047
34. Nebraska -0.055
35. Washington -0.055
36. Delaware -0.060
37. California -0.063
38. Connecticut -0.082
39. Wisconsin -0.089
40. Louisiana -0.098
41. South Carolina -0.102
42. Georgia -0.106
43. Alabama -0.107
44. Massachusetts -0.109
45. New Jersey -0.120
46. Ohio -0.124
47. Rhode Island -0.163
48. New York -0.188
49. Illinois -0.213
50. Maryland -0.294

Table V: Overall Freedom Ranking
1. New Hampshire 0.432
2. Colorado 0.421
3. South Dakota 0.392
4. Idaho 0.356
5. Texas 0.346
6. Missouri 0.320
7. Tennessee 0.284
8. Arizona 0.279
9. Virginia 0.275
10. North Dakota 0.268
11. Utah 0.250
12. Kansas 0.210
13. Indiana 0.208
14. Michigan 0.206
15. Wyoming 0.193
16. Iowa 0.183
17. Georgia 0.146
18. Oklahoma 0.143
19. Montana 0.125
20. Pennsylvania 0.102
21. Alabama 0.092
22. Florida 0.068
23. North Carolina 0.019
24. Nevada 0.013
25. Mississippi -0.004
26. Delaware -0.008
27. Oregon -0.009
28. Nebraska -0.018
29. Arkansas -0.023
30. South Carolina -0.040
31. Alaska -0.071
32. Kentucky -0.082
33. West Virginia -0.097
34. Louisiana -0.110
35. Minnesota -0.111
36. New Mexico -0.150
37. Wisconsin -0.199
38. Ohio -0.205
39. Maine -0.214
40. Vermont -0.217
41. Connecticut -0.225
42. Illinois -0.238
43. Massachusetts -0.242
44. Washington -0.275
45. Hawaii -0.304
46. Maryland -0.405
47. California -0.413
48. Rhode Island -0.430
49. New Jersey -0.457
50. New York -0.784

[JerseyHighlander]

http://www.statepolicyindex.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/freedom-in-the-50-states-an-index-of-personal-and-economic-freedom-by-ruger-and-sorens.pdf

[Sarahnator]

1. New Hampshire 0.432

2. Colorado 0.421

3. South Dakota 0.392

4. Idaho 0.356

5. Texas 0.346

6. Missouri 0.320

7. Tennessee 0.284

8. Arizona 0.279

9. Virginia 0.275

10. North Dakota 0.268

11. Utah 0.250

12. Kansas 0.210

13. Indiana 0.208

14. Michigan 0.206

15. Wyoming 0.193

16. Iowa 0.183

17. Georgia 0.146

18. Oklahoma 0.143

19. Montana 0.125

20. Pennsylvania 0.102

21. Alabama 0.092

22. Florida 0.068

23. North Carolina 0.019

24. Nevada 0.013

25. Mississippi -0.004

26. Delaware -0.008

27. Oregon -0.009

28. Nebraska -0.018

29. Arkansas -0.023

30. South Carolina -0.040

31. Alaska -0.071

32. Kentucky -0.082

33. West Virginia -0.097

34. Louisiana -0.110

35. Minnesota -0.111

36. New Mexico -0.150

37. Wisconsin -0.199

38. Ohio -0.205

39. Maine -0.214

40. Vermont -0.217

41. Connecticut -0.225

42. Illinois -0.238

43. Massachusetts -0.242

44. Washington -0.275

45. Hawaii -0.304

46. Maryland -0.405

47. California -0.413

48. Rhode Island -0.430

49. New Jersey -0.457

50. New York -0.784

 

[ZULU]

New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois and California are now foreign territory. They need to be liberated.

Perhaps we need a Radio Free Amerika.

[Tired of Taxes]

New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois and California are now foreign territory. They need to be liberated.

Sorry, but you're stuck with us. I'm sure you've heard about all those high-income earners who pay the most in taxes. Well, guess where most of those high-income earners live. ;-)

[ZULU]

Check my homepage.

We need to be liberated.

[Tired of Taxes]

Oops! A fellow New Jerseyan. OK, I’ll agree to being liberated. :-)