This is hardly a surprise to me

http://www.redstate.com/warner_todd_huston/2009/05/06/new-study-americas-most-liberal-states-rank-least-free/

According to a new study released by the Mercatus Center of George Mason University, some of our most liberal states rank at the bottom in a measure of personal freedom. “Freedom in the 50 States, an index of personal and economic freedom,” finds the most free states to be first New Hampshire, then Colorado, followed by S. Dakota, Idaho, Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, Arizona, Virginia and N. Dakota.The bottom ten least free states in the U.S. are (in descending order) Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington, Hawaii, Maryland, California, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and bringing up the bottom is New York.

It is striking that some of the most Republican states are the most free and all the least free are Democrat states, isn’t it? (2008 Election Map)


In keeping with the institute’s namesake, American founder George Mason, the rankings are based on some supremely American concepts. Rankings were determined by measuring the personal and economic freedoms of the citizens of the various states coupled with the size and cost of government, education regulations, Second Amendment restrictions, as well as the amount of interference via regulations and police agencies on the populace.

“We develop and justify our ratings,” the paper’s summary reads, “and aggregation procedure on explicitly normative criteria, defining individual freedom 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.”

Along with the various graphs and ranking lists, the report reviews each state in turn. To get a flavor of the criteria used to rank the sates, here, for instance, is what the report says about the least free state in the union, New York:

New York is by far the least free state in the Union (#50 economic, #48 personal). One of us lives in New York and can attest to the fact that few New Yorkers would be surprised by such a finding. Sadly, equally few New Yorkers seem to believe that anything can be done about the situation. New York has the highest taxes in the country. Property, selective sales, individual income, and corporate income taxes are particularly high. Spending on social services and “other” is well above national norms. Only Massachusetts has more government debt as a percentage of the economy. Government employment is higher than average. On personal freedoms, gun laws are extremely restrictive, but marijuana laws are better than average (while tobacco laws are extremely strict). Motorists are highly regulated, but several kinds of gambling are allowed statewide (not casinos, except on reservations). Home school regulations are burdensome, but asset forfeiture has been reformed. Along with Vermont, New York has the strictest health insurance community rating regulations. Mandated coverages are also very high. Eminent domain is totally unreformed. Perversely,the state strictly limits what grassroots PACs may give to candidates and parties, but not what corporations and unions may give.

Sadly, most people don't care about freedoms being taken away, as long as it doesn't include them. But they don't realize that once freedoms are lost, you have a better chance of pulling a buick outta your ass, than you do of getting freedoms back.

I live in a state of 7ish million and we have more state senators and congressman than the US senate and US congress. Blue state, well, if you don't count farmers or people living outside anything remotely referred to as a city.

the most liberal states are the most controlling of people's behavior. We always knew that.

Matton Thomas (November 20, 1884 - December 19, 1968) was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. He was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1911. As a candidate for President of the U. S. , Norman Thomas said, in a 1944 epoch speech: "The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of "liberalism", they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." He went on to say: "I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democratic Party has adopted our platform."

Texas is liberal?????

actually this time i would have to say the title of the tread is accurate

been in every state in the continental u s multiple times and every major city except new orleans

and from what i have seen and heard from those i have talked to and various news reports

yep the most liberal states are teh most restrictive and intrusive into the private lives of those that live there

california and new york are prime examples

We should just line up all liberals and conseratives and shoot them all for treason!!!!!

Imagine my surprise upon learning that Mercantus, a conservative think tank decided that conservative states were more free. Not that I don't see how they came to that conclusion.

Gun control laws are definitely going to be more strict in blue states than red states. Also there's more "redistribution" of wealth in blue states. It's not rocket science figuring out that liberals believe that there is merit in social programs like welfare and are in favor of universal health care and conservatives are not.

Liberals are more likely to believe that one can't really be free unless they have access to acceptable health care, without your health how can one be free? Conservatives would view this more as the government is forcing me to pay for someone's medical bill I should be free from this and they should be free to just be sick.

You could also say the South before the Civil War was more free, they were free to own slaves the government didn't tell them they couldn't have slaves...thus more free.

Also conservatives tend to acquiesce to government intrusion in regards to wiretapping its own citizenry, spying on internet usage etc when it's for national security.

If we simply define freedom as less government intervention, well that is a basic tenant of conservative ideology. I see freedom as being more complex.

Regardless, I have never done anything in a red state that I could not do in a blue state. I'd rather smoke pot than buy a gun any day of the week. I'd rather go to a science conference than attend mass on Sunday. I prefer living in blue states (mostly on the coast) because of the large diversity and having such close access to all sorts of foods and cultures from all over the world.

Anyone care to see quality of life index for countries around the world? How much do you wanna bet you'll see a lot of so called socialist countries on that list?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality-of-life_index

How bout lets look at GDP per capita by state
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_GDP_per_capita_(nominal)
lots of blue states high on that list.

Massachusetts sucks! be seeing you

So let me get this straight. A few days ago you make a post extolling the California Supreme Court for restricting the rights of a certain group. Now you make a post that condemns states for, according to this article, doing exactly what you were applauding California for doing. The blatant methodological oversights and the normative nature of the study on the whole notwithstanding, that fact alone, my friend, makes you one giant hypocrite.

never mind

Very well said, geek.

Always admired states like California that regulate lawmowers and pigon droppings all day. Funny, a liberal state is tolerant on weed, but will nickel and dime you to death with local taxes to fund the largese.

New York is by far the least free state in the Union (#50 economic, #48 personal). Not surprise there they tax it if it moves, and they stimulate it if it dead.

New York almost tax soda pop, and they are the state that can turn making french fries into expensive business banning certian chemicals used.

I agree... hey Jimmy, how ya doin?

Doin good, boo. Doin my best to combat the Rush Limbaughs of the world. Damn hard job sometimes.

We need a country just for them.. grin!

Hey! They might just like that.

Where you have complete freedom. To drive on any side of the road. To steal whatever you want from whomever you want. To own tanks or bazookas- and use them.
You get the idea.

I don't need Rush or anyone else to tell me what I already know.I posted this article because it makes a excellent point.People just want to be left alone.They don't want more government control they want less.I post these topics because because probably only about 2% of the American population knows the difference between a liberal and a conservitive.If people knew they were voting in liberals they would stop voting for them as we all know they just make our life more miserable.I also don't need any charts or websites to tell me where the highest taxes are,who has the most restrictive environmental regulations,who has the most toll roads,who has the most absurd laws because it is always liberal states.California,Washington,most of Oregon,Illinois,and everything from Virginia on up.It will be no surprise at all when I learn that these states want to ban guns and other weapons.Anything that has to do with the gay agenda they will be backing 100%.It won't surprise me at all if they want mandatory recycling and sky high taxes.

The funniest part about this post is that you actually believe it!

The funniest part about this post is that you actually believe it!