Freest and Least Freest States

Deutschbag · May 29, 2009

America's Freest States

By Greg Bobrinskoy
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.
But in a country as large and diverse as the United States, the concept of liberty is sure to have different definitions for different people. More complicating still is the fact that, beyond the overarching liberties defined by the Constitution, individual states have their own legislation to address individual freedoms that aren't explicitly covered in federal doctrine.

In Depth: America's Top 10 Freest and Least Free States
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.
The study, conducted by William P. Ruger and Jason ReSorens and released earlier this year, explores what the authors claim is the "first-ever comprehensive ranking of American states on their public policies affecting individual freedoms in the economic, social, and personal spheres." To create this ranking, Ruger and ReSorens outline three categories into which freedoms fit: fiscal policy (which covers spending and taxation), regulatory policy (which refers to such issues as labor regulations and health insurance), and Paternalism (which includes such categories as gambling and alcohol regulations).
This set of metrics was used to determine each state's ranking, which the authors of the study describe 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." Such indicators, which could prove controversial based on their potentially partisan associations, include citizens' right to educate one's child as well as the right to possess and carry guns "and be free from unreasonable search and seizure." Based on state gun laws, this metric would be more likely to favor conservative states, and the authors of the study concede as much when they note that freedom is defined differently by different people. However, liberties such as the right to smoke marijuana and same sex partners are factored in as well, which would lend weight to states with a more liberal sociopolitical bent.
Still, when taking into account all of their factors, the study ends up naming primarily "red" states as the nation's freest, with New Hampshire, Colorado, South Dakota topping the list. All three voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004 except for New Hampshire in the latter year. New Hampshire also went to Obama in the 2008 Presidential race.
On the other end of the spectrum, it was traditionally Democratic states that earned the title of "least free," according to the study. Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New York-all of whom voted Democratic in the past three presidential elections-came in at 48th, 49th and 50th, respectively.
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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 Freest:
#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.

RealClearPolitics - America's 10 Freest and Least Free States - Introduction

Dickie4:20 · May 29, 2009

Oh yes we are quite free here in New Hampshire, no same-sex marriage bill has been passed, or decrmin. of marijuana.

In all seriousness, NH is the best state in the country.

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