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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

Posted on 03/04/2009 5:55:26 PM PST by 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

(Excerpt) Read more at statepolicyindex.com ...


TOPICS: Education; Miscellaneous; Reference; Society
KEYWORDS: bluestates; freedom; gmu; liberty; lping; policy; redstaes; redstates; states; topten
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To: NewJerseyJoe
Education regulations in NJ are very light (even if the school taxes aren't), as indicated in the report, and maybe that is what brought NJ up a notch above CA.

I do disagree with the report counting "state attempts to enhance the ability of same-sex partners to make voluntary contracts" as individual liberty. But, all in all, this is an interesting report. Thanks for the ping!

21 posted on 03/05/2009 7:47:53 AM PST by Tired of Taxes (Dad, I will always think of you.)
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To: Tired of Taxes
> Education regulations in NJ are very light (even if the school taxes aren't)

I have a great many friends who homeschool their children here, and they agree that NJ is one of the better states as far as it treats homeschoolers. However, they also add that there are continual and incessant attempts to bring homeschooling families under the heel of the state.

22 posted on 03/05/2009 7:52:01 AM PST by NewJerseyJoe (Rat mantra: "Facts are meaningless! You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!")
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To: NewJerseyJoe

I’m a homeschool parent myself here in our state. What your friends say is true. The last attempt by a couple of Democrats (just last year) would’ve turned our state from the least regulated to the most regulated. The bill they introduced was insane. A great number of us hit the phone lines and, thankfully, it was dropped. It was a close call, though.


23 posted on 03/05/2009 7:59:18 AM PST by Tired of Taxes (Dad, I will always think of you.)
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To: NewJerseyJoe
Just correcting my post:

and maybe that is what brought NJ up a notch above CA NY.

24 posted on 03/05/2009 8:18:35 AM PST by Tired of Taxes (Dad, I will always think of you.)
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To: Abathar; Abcdefg; Abram; Abundy; akatel; albertp; AlexandriaDuke; Alexander Rubin; Allerious; ...



Libertarian ping! Click here to get added or here to be removed or post a message here!
25 posted on 03/05/2009 8:07:47 PM PST by bamahead (Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master. -- Sallust)
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To: Larry - Moe and Curly
Table V: Overall Freedom Ranking
1. New Hampshire 0.432


Well, you got to hand it to them...


26 posted on 03/05/2009 8:11:22 PM PST by bamahead (Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master. -- Sallust)
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To: Tired of Taxes

The dirty little secret is that the (emperor has no clothes) because if the Federal government took in $0.0 federal taxes it would still continue to function (at least for a while until people caught on): It would borrow the money by selling bonds to other nations, and ultimately the FED, which would collapse your life savings!


27 posted on 03/05/2009 8:20:03 PM PST by JSDude1 (R(epublicans) In Name Only SUCK; D(emocrats) In Name Only are worth their weight..)
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To: Corin Stormhands

FYI Virginia is high on all rankings (this is good).


28 posted on 03/05/2009 8:34:01 PM PST by rabscuttle385 ("If this be treason, then make the most of it!" —Patrick Henry)
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To: Larry - Moe and Curly

Glad to see my state, Missouri, ranked in the top ten in all but one of the lists. Of course all that will change soon as we put a lib in as governor. Republicans still own the House and Senate, so it might be status quo if they can keep the dem gov in check.


29 posted on 03/05/2009 9:01:08 PM PST by MissouriConservative (The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance. - Thomas Paine)
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To: Larry - Moe and Curly

SoDak is looking pretty darned good, we just need a taller fence on our eastern border.


30 posted on 03/05/2009 10:39:34 PM PST by SoDak (Molon Labe)
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To: Hoodat

This is a ridiculous study. It was created by Jason Sorens, founder of the Free State Project, which had a weird vote (complete with various irregularities as I dimily recall) among memebers to select a state which they would all move to.

The criteria were manipulated in such a way that New Hampshire finished #1. I’ve spent plenty of time in New Hampshire, and while it is a nice state in no way is it as free as many states finishing further down the list.

Washington, which finishes far down the list near the bottom has “shall carry” gun laws, no income tax and $40 car registration which you can complete at the local hardware store. To even imagine that it is less free that, say, Connecticut is absurd.


31 posted on 03/06/2009 12:16:17 AM PST by Jack Black
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To: SoDak

I lived in the Peoples Republic of Minnesota for 5 years. I agree you need the fence.


32 posted on 03/06/2009 7:02:10 AM PST by Larry - Moe and Curly (Loose lips sink ships.)
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