FREEDOM IN THE 50 STATES
AN INDEX OF PERSONAL AND ECONOMIC FREEDOM
The overall freedom ranking is a combination of personal and economic freedoms.
There’s a map where you can click on any state to see how they rate.
Texas #21
Texas talks a good game about freedom but could stand to deliver a more freedom-oriented policy regime. It comes in only at 21st in this edition, rescued largely by its top-10 economic freedom score, and it has never been higher than 15th overall. The problem is that Texas has always been a less free state for personal freedom and now is the second-worst state on that margin despite some absolute improvement over time. Its economic freedom is likely one reason it hasn’t slipped out of the top half states and why it’s been such a job-producing and population-attracting machine. It does especially well on fiscal policy where it ranks 12th. It is also a solidly above-average state on regulatory policy, but not as good as one might expect at 22nd.
Texas’s fiscal policy is very good. It is a fiscally decentralized state, with local taxes at about 4.9 percent of adjusted personal income, above the national average, and state taxes at about 3.5 percent of income, quite far below the national average of 5.7 percent. However, Texans have little choice of local government, with only 0.39 jurisdictions per 100 square miles. State and local debt is above average at 21.2 percent of income, with the biggest problem being local debt burdens, but the overall debt burden has come down noticeably since FY 2010. Public employment has fallen to significantly below average, at 10.7 percent of private employment, and government share of GDP is only 9.7 percent, below the national average of 10.3 percent. If Texas could get a handle on local taxes and debt, it could improve on its top-10 economic freedom score and become an even greater economic powerhouse.
Texas’s land-use freedom keeps housing abundant and affordable, but it has slipped a bit lately. The state has a renewable portfolio standard, but it has not been raised in years. Texas is our top state for labor-market freedom. Workers’ compensation coverage is optional for employers; most employees are covered, but not all. The state has a right-to-work law, no minimum wage, and a federally consistent anti-discrimination law. Cable and telecommunications have been liberalized. However, health insurance mandates are way above average, and the gatekeeper model of managed care has been banned. The individual health insurance mandate was removed federally in 2019 and was not replaced at the state level. The extent of occupational licensing is high, but the state enacted a sunrise review requirement for new licensure proposals in 2013. Time will tell whether it is at all effective. Nurse practitioners enjoy no freedom of independent practice. Texas does not have many cronyist entry and price regulations, but it does have a price-gouging law, and Tesla’s direct sales model is still illegal. Texas suffered a marked deterioration in homeowner’s insurance regulation in 2015, resulting in a large residual market, but the state reformed it back to file and use in 2018. The civil liability system used to be terrible, but now it is merely below average. The state abolished joint and several liability in 2003, but it could do more to cap punitive damages and end political parties’ role in judicial elections.
Personal freedom is abysmally low in Texas, especially given how we operationalize it. Criminal justice policies are generally aggressive, but reforms have been ongoing in the state for some time. Even controlling for crime rates, the incarceration rate is far above the national average but has been improving. Drug arrests have fallen over time and are now about average for the user base. Nondrug victimless crime arrests have also fallen over time and are now much below the national average. This change would seem to show the power of the criminal justice reform efforts. Asset forfeiture is mostly unreformed, but law enforcement participation in equitable sharing has declined with regard to revenues. Cannabis laws are harsh. A single offense not involving minors can carry a life sentence. Even cultivating a tiny amount carries a mandatory minimum of six months. In 2013/14, the state banned the mostly harmless psychedelic Salvia divinorum. Medical marijuana was further expanded in 2021. Travel freedom is low. The state takes a fingerprint for driver’s licenses and does not regulate automated license plate readers. It has little legal gambling; sports betting remains illegal. Texas has no private school choice programs, but at least private schools and homeschools are basically unregulated. Tobacco freedom is moderate, as smoking bans have not gone as far as in other states. But the state did add a minimum age of purchase increase in 2019. Gun rights have been moderately above average, but the state wasn’t even in the top half of the states despite Texas’s reputation. Open carry was legalized in 2015. The big positive reform came in 2021 with the passage of constitutional carry. Alcohol freedom is above average, with taxes low. Texas has virtually no campaign finance regulations.
https://www.freedominthe50states.org/
In overall freedom, the top 10 states are:
New Hampshire - Republican Governor
Florida - Republican Governor
Nevada - Democratic Governor
Tennessee - Republican - Governor
South Dakota - Republican Governor
Indiana - Republican Governor
Michigan - Democratic Governor
Georgia - Republican Governor
Arizona - Republican Governor
Idaho - Republican Governor
https://www.theblaze.com/news/states-most-freedom-cato-index
Wonderful to see Arizona in the top 10 in spite of out wacko governor.
Very interesting. I was happy Tennessee was in the top 10, until I read some of their criteria.
Tennessee got dinged for having e-verify, which I count as a good thing. Ditto for stricter victimless crime laws.
And teacher licensing - I realize most of teacher education is liberal, but we still need some sort of standard. I taught at a supposed Christian High School, and they had no standards whatsoever. The parents were paying a lot of money for Education that was much worse than public schools. Part was the administration but of course part was poor teachers.
Their marriage freedom applies to gay marriage, but get this - also to cousin marriage! LOL. Of course those in Tennessee know all about that. I don’t think any laws would stop it.
Apparently someone else’s freedom to smoke is more important than my right to breathing clean air.
So, this is quite libertarian, and helped me realize I am not one. Not even close.
Thanks for ping.
Interesting.
Just got home from a double shift!
VIP Night for our customers!
Yikes so tired and dressing up with heels about did me in! Ha!
But it was fun.