Richard
07-10-2009, 06:10
An interesting exercise from RealClear Politics.*
From indelibly American quotations like "Give me liberty or give me death" to the iconic pairing of "liberty and justice" in the Pledge of Allegiance, there's no shortage of examples demonstrating that Americans have historically placed a high value on the concept of freedom.
While the concept of freedom may be in the eye of the beholder, there's no question that each state has done their best to codify what actions they do and do not leave up to their residents' choice. But which states give their citizens the most leeway, and which have them on the tightest leash? A study entitled "Freedom In the 50 States: An Index of Personal And Economic Freedom," published by the Mercatus Center of George Mason University, sets out to answer this question. Click through to see which states rank the highest and lowest by their metrics.
All data from the Mercatus Center of George Mason University.
Freest:
#5 Texas - Texas' rating as one of the freest states fits in with one view of its historic beginnings-the Wild West narrative. Interestingly, though, in contrast to little regulation of personal freedoms such as cigarette smoking, Texas scored in the bottom half of states regarding regulatory freedom.
#4 Idaho - Ranking in the top ten for every category of freedoms measured in this study, it's clear that Idaho errs on the side of deregulation. Some of their more lenient policies, though, could be debatable in their benefit to the public-the study names the prohibition of sobriety checkpoints and a minimum schooling requirement of nine years as two of the freedom-enhancing state policies.
#3 South Dakota - South Dakota ranks first out of the 50 states based on this study's interpretation of economic freedom, and in the top ten for all the other indicators with the exception of personal freedom-lenient gun laws are balanced by more stringent marijuana restrictions.
#2 Colorado - Comparatively to many of the other states in the union, Colorado doesn't make its citizens pay for their sins-taxes on smoking and alcohol are relatively low. However, according to this report, smoking bans are some of the more restrictive ones in the country.
#1 - New Hampshire - "Live Free or Die" - it's not just New Hampshire's motto, it's a way of life. With low taxes, lax gun laws, and practically no premium on alcohol, the state that prides itself on its individuality grants its residents the most freedom, on the whole, of any state in the Union.
Least Free:
#5 Maryland - While Maryland's economic restrictions place it firmly in the middle of the pack, its regulations on personal freedom - the harshest in the country - send it spiraling down the list. Residents can still partake in most of the vices of their choosing - namely alcohol and smoking - but they will have a hard time navigating the dramatic gun control, home schooling and gambling laws.
#4 California - The reasons behind California's freedom issues should surprise no one: the state spends aggressively, which not only leads to its perpetual budget issues but also to constant demands for more money-taxes are thus levied at an exorbitant rate. California's largely centralized government certainly does not help the economic issue, and its gun control laws-the strictest in the U.S.-are emblematic of a state with only moderate personal freedom.
#3 Rhode Island - At the very least, Rhode Island is consistent - its restrictions on economic practice and personal freedom are extensive across the board, with all areas - taxes, spending, marijuana policy, and so on-sticking out but few taking precedence over the others. But the level is such that even some of the most intense education and smoking rules around fail to operate outside out of Rhode Island's norm.
#2 New Jersey - If you enjoy smoking, the Garden State is not for you. New Jersey's extensive tobacco tariffs and restrictions highlight its affinity for high taxes and regulated personal freedom-guns are highly controlled, and the laws regarding automobiles fill volumes.
#1 New York - While New Hampshire, Colorado and South Dakota could all reasonably claim to be the freest state in the country, only New York is in contention for the least free title. The main reason is the Empire State's penchant for high taxes - on the whole, they are the highest in the nation, and income taxes on both the individual and business level are extensive.
* http://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/freest-least-free-states/idaho.html?state=play
Richard's $.02 :munchin
From indelibly American quotations like "Give me liberty or give me death" to the iconic pairing of "liberty and justice" in the Pledge of Allegiance, there's no shortage of examples demonstrating that Americans have historically placed a high value on the concept of freedom.
While the concept of freedom may be in the eye of the beholder, there's no question that each state has done their best to codify what actions they do and do not leave up to their residents' choice. But which states give their citizens the most leeway, and which have them on the tightest leash? A study entitled "Freedom In the 50 States: An Index of Personal And Economic Freedom," published by the Mercatus Center of George Mason University, sets out to answer this question. Click through to see which states rank the highest and lowest by their metrics.
All data from the Mercatus Center of George Mason University.
Freest:
#5 Texas - Texas' rating as one of the freest states fits in with one view of its historic beginnings-the Wild West narrative. Interestingly, though, in contrast to little regulation of personal freedoms such as cigarette smoking, Texas scored in the bottom half of states regarding regulatory freedom.
#4 Idaho - Ranking in the top ten for every category of freedoms measured in this study, it's clear that Idaho errs on the side of deregulation. Some of their more lenient policies, though, could be debatable in their benefit to the public-the study names the prohibition of sobriety checkpoints and a minimum schooling requirement of nine years as two of the freedom-enhancing state policies.
#3 South Dakota - South Dakota ranks first out of the 50 states based on this study's interpretation of economic freedom, and in the top ten for all the other indicators with the exception of personal freedom-lenient gun laws are balanced by more stringent marijuana restrictions.
#2 Colorado - Comparatively to many of the other states in the union, Colorado doesn't make its citizens pay for their sins-taxes on smoking and alcohol are relatively low. However, according to this report, smoking bans are some of the more restrictive ones in the country.
#1 - New Hampshire - "Live Free or Die" - it's not just New Hampshire's motto, it's a way of life. With low taxes, lax gun laws, and practically no premium on alcohol, the state that prides itself on its individuality grants its residents the most freedom, on the whole, of any state in the Union.
Least Free:
#5 Maryland - While Maryland's economic restrictions place it firmly in the middle of the pack, its regulations on personal freedom - the harshest in the country - send it spiraling down the list. Residents can still partake in most of the vices of their choosing - namely alcohol and smoking - but they will have a hard time navigating the dramatic gun control, home schooling and gambling laws.
#4 California - The reasons behind California's freedom issues should surprise no one: the state spends aggressively, which not only leads to its perpetual budget issues but also to constant demands for more money-taxes are thus levied at an exorbitant rate. California's largely centralized government certainly does not help the economic issue, and its gun control laws-the strictest in the U.S.-are emblematic of a state with only moderate personal freedom.
#3 Rhode Island - At the very least, Rhode Island is consistent - its restrictions on economic practice and personal freedom are extensive across the board, with all areas - taxes, spending, marijuana policy, and so on-sticking out but few taking precedence over the others. But the level is such that even some of the most intense education and smoking rules around fail to operate outside out of Rhode Island's norm.
#2 New Jersey - If you enjoy smoking, the Garden State is not for you. New Jersey's extensive tobacco tariffs and restrictions highlight its affinity for high taxes and regulated personal freedom-guns are highly controlled, and the laws regarding automobiles fill volumes.
#1 New York - While New Hampshire, Colorado and South Dakota could all reasonably claim to be the freest state in the country, only New York is in contention for the least free title. The main reason is the Empire State's penchant for high taxes - on the whole, they are the highest in the nation, and income taxes on both the individual and business level are extensive.
* http://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/freest-least-free-states/idaho.html?state=play
Richard's $.02 :munchin