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Freedom in the 50 States; An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom
Mercatus Center, George Mason University ^ | June 7, 2011 | Jason Sorens, William Ruger

Posted on 06/17/2011 5:27:30 PM PDT by Eric Blair 2084

This study comprehensively ranks the American states on their public policies that affect individual freedoms in the economic, social, and personal spheres. It updates, expands, and improves upon our inaugural 2009 Freedom in the 50 States study. For this new edition, we have added more policy variables (such as bans on trans fats and the audio recording of police, Massachusetts’s individual health-insurance mandate, and mandated family leave), improved existing measures (such as those for fiscal policies, workers’ compensation regulations, and asset-forfeiture rules), and developed specific policy prescriptions for each of the 50 states based on our data and a survey of state policy experts. With a consistent time series, we are also able to discover for the first time which states have improved and worsened in regard to freedom recently.

This project develops an index of economic and personal freedom in the American states. Specifically, it examines state and local government intervention across a wide range of public policies, from income taxation to gun control, from homeschooling regulation to drug policy.

(Excerpt) Read more at mercatus.org ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Alabama; US: Alaska; US: Arizona; US: Arkansas; US: California; US: Colorado; US: Connecticut; US: Delaware; US: District of Columbia; US: Florida; US: Georgia; US: Hawaii; US: Idaho; US: Illinois; US: Indiana; US: Iowa; US: Kansas; US: Kentucky; US: Louisiana; US: Maine; US: Maryland; US: Massachusetts; US: Michigan; US: Minnesota; US: Mississippi; US: Missouri; US: Montana; US: Nebraska; US: Nevada; US: New Hampshire; US: New Jersey; US: New Mexico; US: New York; US: North Carolina; US: North Dakota; US: Ohio; US: Oklahoma; US: Oregon; US: Pennsylvania; US: Rhode Island; US: South Carolina; US: South Dakota; US: Tennessee; US: Texas; US: Utah; US: Vermont; US: Virginia; US: Washington; US: West Virginia; US: Wisconsin; US: Wyoming
KEYWORDS: freedom; fsp; lping
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1. Keep in mind, this is a libertarian think tank. Some of the people who they want to give freedom to, like gay marriage may not sit well.

2. Not shockingly, the bluest states are the least free.

The Democratic Peoples Republic of NY, CA, NJ are dead last.

1 posted on 06/17/2011 5:27:34 PM PDT by Eric Blair 2084
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To: SheLion; Gabz; Hank Kerchief; 383rr; libertarian27; traviskicks; bamahead; CSM; valkyrieanne; ...

Big Brother, Nanny State, Grant Junkie, Bogus Study, Junk Science, Social Engineering, Egalitarian, Central Planning, Sheeple Control, Food Cop, Smoke Nazi, Socialism, Collectivism

This is an extremely low volume ping list. 6 per week max. To be added to or deleted from this ping list, please click one of the following:

Eric, you are a genius add me to your ping list or Eric, you are a jackass, take me off this ping list

To request that I stop using these gay html colors and fonts, please send me a private message below.

____________________________________________________________________

Constitution of the Left Wing Nanny State of Liberals:

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Picture courtesy of unixfox. All rights reserved. Copyright MMVII. Any use of the pictures descriptions or accounts of this ping without the express written consent of unixfox, Eric Blair, or Major League Baseball is strictly prohibited. Some restrictions apply. Ping not available in all states. For erections lasting longer than four hours, call the Guiness Book of World Records. Use only as directed.

Preamble:

We the People Sheeple of the United States Nanny State, in Order to form a more perfect Union Socialist Utopia, establish Justice Socially engineer a country of non smoking, physically fit, seat belt and helmet wearing teetotalers, ensure domestic Tranquility Smoking bans in bars, limits on unhealthy food and social drinking, provide for the common defense Universal Healthcare, promote the general Welfare health of the population whether they like it or not, in order to save above mentioned Universal Healthcare entitlement program from bankruptcy, and secure the Blessings of Liberty Dependency to ourselves progressive liberals and our Posterity Hitler Youth who we brainwash through public school education, do ordain decree and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Nanny State of Liberals.

2 posted on 06/17/2011 5:31:31 PM PDT by Eric Blair 2084 (Beware of the Socialist Government-Academia Grant Junkie-Rich "non-profit"-Liberal Media Complex)
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To: Eric Blair 2084

Yeah! Way to go California! “We’re not last...we’re not last..” yeesh...


3 posted on 06/17/2011 5:39:02 PM PDT by FightforFreedomCA (It starts here! It starts now! Mr. President, game on!)
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To: Eric Blair 2084

“keep in mind”
....that this attempt to quantify liberty is by...
“a LIBERTARIAN think tank”

Keep in mind Eric, what you just posted.


4 posted on 06/17/2011 5:49:28 PM PDT by nkycincinnatikid
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To: FightforFreedomCA

Gee, maybe I ought to quit plotting to leave Oregon for Washington.


5 posted on 06/17/2011 5:52:36 PM PDT by Aria ( "If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.")
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To: FightforFreedomCA

Gee, maybe I ought to quit plotting to leave Oregon for Washington.


6 posted on 06/17/2011 5:54:41 PM PDT by Aria ( "If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.")
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To: Springman; sergeantdave; cyclotic; netmilsmom; RatsDawg; PGalt; FreedomHammer; queenkathy; ...
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27

MIping

If you wish to be added to or removed from the Michigan ping list, please post or FReepmail me.

7 posted on 06/17/2011 5:59:59 PM PDT by magslinger (Zombies make up much of the Democrat's base.)
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To: Eric Blair 2084

Thank GOODNESS it’s a Libertarian group!


8 posted on 06/17/2011 6:01:06 PM PDT by arderkrag (Georgia is God's Country.----------In the same way Rush is balance, I am consensus.)
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To: Eric Blair 2084

This think tank with Jason Sorens also put Alaska at the bottom (44 out of 50). That’s the Jason Sorens of Free State Project infamy. I was a member of the FSP for a few years and thus know that Jason has even less grounding in the realities of state and local politics and economics than Obama.

Many of their individual criteria or ratings are graded from an idealistic anarcho-libertarian perspective. They ignore the reality facing which are relatively large, sparsely populated, resource dependent and military installation intensive.


9 posted on 06/17/2011 6:02:57 PM PDT by Solitar ("My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them." -- Barry Goldwater)
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To: Eric Blair 2084

State Freedom Rankings
1. New Hampshire
2. South Dakota
3. Indiana
4. Idaho
5. Missouri
6. Nevada
7. Colorado
8. Oregon
9. Virginia
10. North Dakota
11. Florida
12. Oklahoma
13. Iowa
14. Texas
15. Georgia
16. Tennessee
17. Kansas
18. North Carolina
19. Alabama
20. Utah
21. Wyoming
22. Arizona
23. Nebraska
24. Mississippi
25. Wisconsin
26. South Carolina
27. Michigan
28. Arkansas
29. Montana
30. Vermont
31. Pennsylvania
32. Kentucky
33. Maine
34. Minnesota
35. Louisiana
36. West Virginia
37. New Mexico
38. Connecticut
39. Delaware
40. Washington
41. Illinois
42. Ohio
43. Maryland
44. Alaska
45. Rhode Island
46. Massachusetts
47. Hawaii
48. California
49. New Jersey
50. New York


10 posted on 06/17/2011 6:03:47 PM PDT by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis (Want to make $$$? It's easy! Use FR as a platform to pimp your blog for hits!!!)
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To: nkycincinnatikid

Surprise, surprise, surprise
New Hampshire is #1 on Jason Sorens list.
There is a hidden agenda in that last.

This is a thinly veiled attempt to rig the list to attempt to boost the floundering Free State Project in New Hampshire.

To get the FSP members to pick New Hampshire in the election among ten candidate states for the FSP, Jason and the FSP boosters of New Hampshire not only cherry picked “statistics” to make New Hampshire look better, they outright lied in addition to using gross overstatments about New Hampshire.


11 posted on 06/17/2011 6:10:14 PM PDT by Solitar ("My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them." -- Barry Goldwater)
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To: nkycincinnatikid

Surprise, surprise, surprise
New Hampshire is #1 on Jason Sorens list.
There is a hidden agenda in that last.

This is a thinly veiled attempt to rig the list to attempt to boost the floundering Free State Project in New Hampshire.

To get the FSP members to pick New Hampshire in the election among ten candidate states for the FSP, Jason and the FSP boosters of New Hampshire not only cherry picked “statistics” to make New Hampshire look better, they outright lied in addition to using gross overstatments about New Hampshire.


12 posted on 06/17/2011 6:10:26 PM PDT by Solitar ("My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them." -- Barry Goldwater)
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To: Eric Blair 2084
I don't agree at all with the weighting of issues in this report.

The cross plots are interesting though.

13 posted on 06/17/2011 6:14:03 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Solitar

If it were up to me I would rank Michigan higher on the personal freedom scale because we do pretty much as we please outside the cities anyway.

Seems to be a somewhat subjective rating system.


14 posted on 06/17/2011 6:14:05 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: bamahead

LIBERTARIAN FOR LIFE PING!


15 posted on 06/17/2011 6:14:55 PM PDT by arderkrag (Georgia is God's Country.----------In the same way Rush is balance, I am consensus.)
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To: cripplecreek

Having Levin and Levin Jr. as ‘representatives” seems to have a certain freedom limiting feeling.


16 posted on 06/17/2011 6:16:37 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: cripplecreek
Seems to be a somewhat subjective rating system.

Not only subjective, but unfairly and even wrongly weighted too heavily on some economic factors.

Remember the authors are big "L" Libertarians who have little clue about life outside their anarchist utopian dreams.

17 posted on 06/17/2011 6:22:26 PM PDT by Aroostook25
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To: Aroostook25
Not only subjective, but unfairly and even wrongly weighted too heavily on some economic factors.

So what would be an example of an unfair or wrong weighting?

Or, put another way, what's wrong with New Hampshire that would be improved by taking on some of the characteristics of states at the other end of the ratings list?

Or, which state do you think should be #1 for freedom?

18 posted on 06/17/2011 6:26:56 PM PDT by freeandfreezing
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To: DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis

Wonder why Alaska is so far down?


19 posted on 06/17/2011 6:31:03 PM PDT by Cuttnhorse (Obama; a skid mark on the undershorts of American history.)
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To: Eric Blair 2084

Happy to be living in #4


20 posted on 06/17/2011 6:32:16 PM PDT by Cuttnhorse (Obama; a skid mark on the undershorts of American history.)
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