Indiana Ranks 3rd on States Freedom Index

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George Mason Study Places Hoosier State #3 for Freedom, New York is Last

This study comprehensively ranks the American states on their public policies that affect individual freedoms in the economic, social, and personal spheres. An interactive map leads to the discussions of why each state ranked the way they are ranked. Indiana in particular was praised for having laws that promote individual freedoms in the areas of gun control, penalties for recreational marijuana use, and for having unregulated professions.

Indiana was cited for having silly blue laws that should be repealed and for making internet gambling illegal. The study urged Indiana to repeal those laws and to reduce the public debt by constraining the budgets for public welfare and hospitals. An appropriate comment was that Indiana strikes a good balance between Baptists and Bootleggers.

Our Midwestern border states of Illinois and Ohio did not fare so well ranking #41 and #42 respectively. Our southern neighbor Kentucky came in at #32 largely for carrying excessive debt and having little restriction on local government bonded debt.

Here is a link to the entire story and an interactive map.

http://mercatus.org/freedom-50-states-2011

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8 COMMENTS

  1. This ranking is SOMETHING of which to be proud and thankful.
    Freedom is a marketable commodity.

    Indiana: “THE LAND OF THE FREE”

  2. Well, no study is perfect.

    Regulatory policy was only broken down into a “paternalistic” distinction. I wonder if the COSTS of our utilities were factored into the study, would KY fare better than us?

    After all, paternalistic or not, if we’re paying multiples dollar wise… aren’t they more fiscally free?

    Indiana: “Land of the free”
    Evansville: Land of government entertainment run amok, GAGE, FDP, Bank on Evansville, etc.?

    Is it true that we have to have lots of smaller towns like Mt Vernon and Newburgh, where government is somewhat restrained, to make up for all the largesse in Evansville?

  3. I completely disagree with this study, seeing as how recently the governor and his statehouse evangelists are trying to end a woman’s right to choose, have taken away nearly all collective bargaining rights fought for by teachers, and have legislated the personal right of one person to marry whomever they wish. These individual freedoms are a better measuring stick for freedom then taxes on cigarettes, private employment versus public, and debt and spending as a percentage of income. If my government spends a little more then should and issues more bonds than they should, I don’t really care as long as I can live my life by my choices, not choices made by some politician for me. Freedom is the ability the live one’s life (within the laws designed for our safety) without interference from the government. Lately, all we have had is interference.

    • “Freedom is the ability to live one’s life without interference from the government.”
      Unless, of course, you are an unborn baby. Because then you are a choice, not a life. And, of course, this non-interfering government has to provide health care, education, welfare, etc. (not saying *you* are necessarily saying this, mind you).

      “…taken away nearly all collective bargaining rights fought for by teachers.”
      Would you care to enumerate them?

      “…have legislated the personal right of one person to marry whomever they wish.”
      They actually have to pass the same resolution again by a separately elected legislature, and THEN it will go to a public referendum.

      • Health care…class size…their pay is now linked to performance. Although the latter can be effective in some situations, it fails to take into account the near impossible task of helping special education students (usually from homes with parents who have severe problems themselves) pass standardized tests. These teachers have chosen work with the most difficult kids to teach, and now their pay will be effected by tests geared toward children without disabilities or linked to the performance of other teachers in their school (however the school system decides to set it up).
        Also, my tax dollars can now be spent on an education at a private school that teaches religion. You don’t want your tax dollars paying for abortion? Fine. I don’t want my tax dollars paying for a Catholic or Christian or Jewish or “insert religion here” education. To preface your next argument, I am not Godless. I am a practicing Catholic, but I believe that tax dollars should not be spent on teaching a child to believe in a certain religion.
        As I said earlier, freedom is about choice and I no longer feel I have the ability to make the choices I want. Read that again…”the choices I want”…not you or any politician or church or union or neighbor or university or…

  4. You want “safety”? Wait till Obamacare kicks in, and Frank-Dodd…

    Freedom is tough to quantify.

    Chrysler bondholders might have been treated better by Serbian, Croatian and/or Libyan governments? Is that freedom? 😉

    Compare Apple dealing with the Chinese government and Foxconn, to Chrysler bondholders dealing with the Obama government and US bankruptcy court.

    • Yeah nothing like suing for LESS than you were offered by the Obama administration’s deal, costing the state millions in legal fees. You guys always seem to leave out that little pesky fact.

      Murdoch couldn’t even get the Supreme’s to hear his case.

      Further why did he invest in junk bonds in the first place? And if you’re going to invest in junk bonds as a matter of policy then you’re going to have to man up and take your lumps every now and then because even though many will earn handsome rewards on some bond some will blow up in your face.

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