Freedom is a topic that is complicated in it's subjectivity. For some being able to open carry is freedom, for others building on their own land without the need for permits is the other. But based on Cato’s criteria, here are the freest and least free states in the USA.
The report by the Cato Institute examines everything from tax laws to gun laws to government regulation to education freedom and found that the five freest states are:
1. New Hampshire
2. Alaska
3. Oklahoma
4. Indiana
5. South DakotaThe five states with the least freedom are:
6. Maryland
7. New Jersey
8. Hawaii
9. California
10. New YorkThe reasons why the Empire State came in No. 50 in the freedom survey include:
• A local tax burden twice that of the average state.
• Local taxes consuming 7.8 percent of the average New Yorker’s income.
• The nation’s strictest gun control laws.
• Laws that make it perhaps the worst state for homeschooling.Some of the reasons why New Hampshire ranked so high include:
• State taxes as a share of personal income at 2.8 percent.
• Local taxes as a share of income at 4.8 percent.
• One of the best states for gun rights; there are almost no restrictions on concealed and open carry.Ruger and Soren calculated freedom in each state using more than 230 variables. Some of these included land-use regulations, insurance requirements, licensing, gun rights and asset forfeiture. Cato is a libertarian think tank.
These rankings were divided into three broad categories: regulatory policy, personal freedom and fiscal policy. Regulatory policy is a measure of how much freedom businesses have in a state, personal freedom is a ranking of individual liberty, and fiscal policy is a measure of the level of taxes and government spending.
Cato’s finding rings true at the state level; left out, however, is the “freedom quotient” of local governments. For example infrastructure and freedom of movement – rural states tend to have only a couple of major highways, if that, which can greatly restrict bug-out potential, although they tend have much more open and wild spaces.
Tell us your opinion below and for more information on Cato’s study, check out Off the Grid News.
Our government, in the name of safety, environment, or something that is supposed to help you continues to daily erode our freedoms. It is supposed to be “better”, and nearly always costs you more money and freedom……. Limit our government…..
No freedom in Michigan
not free as long as muslims are in this country…e are so afraid of insulting them we are losing everything
“Eminent Domain”, “Patriot Act”, “NDA Act”, “Asset Forfeiture”……..My fellow American Citizens, do you really think that you have any rights at all here in America??? Nothing but “legalized” mobs(Police/US Federal Domestic Terrorist Corporation(AKA: US Federal Government)) that can legally take you and your belongings!!!!!!!! Please DO NOT believe me……look this stuff up and educate yourselves!!!!!
With all these scumbag Muslims in our country we are not free,they are
We are not free as long as these fucking retarded$#%&!@*demorats and republicunts are still running everything they both have an agenda of power and control in some fashion time to rid ourselves of both these disgusting human beings let’s just try freedom for a change with simple guidelines for government to follow and minimize their reach and power o wait we have that they both just never follow it. Lmao$#%&!@*democrats and republicans
Texas should be in there!
Cato institute?
Originally known as the Charles Koch foundation?
Maybe a less misleading title would be:
“Which states do the koch brothers like the best?”
Wild guess: a New Yorker?
Nope.
Utah.
I’m a Republican, I just dislike the influence of myopic billionaires influencing policy for capital gains.
We should be more educated than this.
Land of the free is getting to be more and more of a misnomer each passing year.
HELL NO. petro co.s big pharm and Insurance co’s run everything. we are hostages no doubt…!
I haven’t felt safe in over two decades. I have seen, and heard much as many of you. It is, as I have said before, Time For Americans To Come, And Stand Together.
Only the blind sheep really believe they are free
Strictly in terms of government restriction the entire nation has had significant losses if freedom in the last fifty years!
For a third worlder you are so free, for a white American not, because if he complains about non whites that’s “racist” so you are not free anymore, you can’t complain about inmigrants because that’s “racist” you can’t build a wall cause that’s “racist” if you fart next to a mexican then you wanted to “kill” him because you are ” ra ist”
What about the rest of the country???
What about the rest of the country??!