Mercatus' State Freedom Index
I'm not sure I've seen this before. The Mercatus Center has a freedom index of all 50 states. Criteria includes such things as marijuana and business laws. California ranks 48 overall. No surprise there. Their analysis even points out how a state can improve its freedom rating.
You can click on the map to get a breakdown on other states.
Hat tip to the Rational Review News Digest for the link. Subscribing to RRND is free. You'll receive their news digest in your inbox Monday through Friday, or you can just read it online.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 7:57 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I don't want to live in a California that has improved my freedom by reducing the quality of my health coverage and stripped some of my rights as an employee. Freedom for whom? The answer is obvious.
Yep. There are many in this state that equate freedom with food stamps and free health care.
Fred, Just spent the past two weeks in northern Idaho (Couer D'Alene a city of 55,000) checking on properties. It was indeed weird to see no helmets on bikers and people and dogs in the back of trucks, ect. Also not a bum or druggie in sight, in fact I didn't see one again until I got just outside Portland. Their economy is also humming along quite well
No surprise that the most expensive states to live (and dare I say most desireable) are the bottom 5 on that list
@anonymous at 8:45 am: Freedom is not equated by how much the state can give you. Freedom is a function of what you can do without the state dictating what you can or can't do. It is not up to the govt to provide you with healthcare. It is not even up to the govt to dictate how your healthcare will look. It's not up to the state to even define your employee rights. That is something to work out between employee and employer.
Freedom is the ability to do what you want unhampered by govt interference, provided you are not interfering with the natural rights of other to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That also requires the individual to be responsible for their actions. If you require force of govt or others to exercise your freedom, then you are not really talking about freedom at all. Exercising your freedom can only be done if you aren't taking away someone else's freedom to achieve it.
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