Most free states run by Republicans. Least free states run by Democrats.

[Revoltingest]

“The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread.”

Anatole France

Parenthetical aside...
I've actually slept under a bridge when hitchhiking back in the 70s.
I don't recommend it. Very uncomfortable.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I think the problem here is with the thread's title.
MI is one of the top states, but we have a
Democrat governor. The OP's making it very
partisan will cause some to circle the wagons.

What would you change in Cato's criteria?
https://www.freedominthe50states.org/how-its-calculated
I'd like to see police misconduct be a factor.
I wonder how much it varies state-to-state?

Woohoo! Michiganistan is near (not in) the top!

What would I change? Being from the frozen north (and it IS frozen at the moment, brrrr!) there are probably a lot of things to which I would give more or less weight.

One thing popped out right away, as I was reading State #1 (New Hampshire), and that is Direct Access to Specialist (doctors). Now, that may seem like a nice idea (NH mandates it), but that makes the idea of "managed care" impossible. Why is that important? Because specialists are a very limited resource, and my ability to decide for myself that what I really need is an ace cardiologist, when what I have is heartburn, can put severe strains on such resources, making them less available to those with real needs.

 

[Revoltingest]

What would I change? Being from the frozen north (and it IS frozen at the moment, brrrr!) there are probably a lot of things to which I would give more or less weight.

One thing popped out right away, as I was reading State #1 (New Hampshire), and that is Direct Access to Specialist (doctors). Now, that may seem like a nice idea (NH mandates it), but that makes the idea of "managed care" impossible. Why is that important? Because specialists are a very limited resource, and my ability to decide for myself that what I really need is an ace cardiologist, when what I have is heartburn, can put severe strains on such resources, making them less available to those with real needs.

Look at you...taking my query seriously, & giving it thought!
We might actually get a conversation going in this thread.

I see freedom as the lack of restriction imposed upon one.
Others see it more as security provided by government.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

Which both lead me to note that there is nothing in all of the measures used that assesses outcomes -- desirable or undesirable. Fiscal policy may result in lower taxes, for example, but lower taxes can mean less means to provide assistance for those in dire need. Fact is, absent such means, sleeping under bridges, begging in the streets and stealing bread become last but necessary resorts.

Freedom, while important, is not the only measure of general quality of human life.

I mean it could hypothetically be better, only if an area didn't problems that required funding. Though I've never heard of that

 

[Kooky]

Who would have thought that the Cato Institute "found" that Republicans are better than Democrats?
What a surprise!

 

[Audie]

A tendentious list, from a libertarian think tank. It's quite ridiculous to suggest that people are not "free" in any state of the USA. It's not the USSR or N. Korea. It really just isn't.

What these people need to do is make a cogent case for why more "freedom" - in the way they define it - benefits all citizens. I'm not convinced that is an easy task.

It is obvious that the less government you have, the more "free" you can be said to be, in a superficial sense. But that may include the "freedom" to lynch your neighbour, or to stand aside while he or she starves, or dies from inability to afford medical care. Furthermore it may include the "freedom" for your local industry to pollute the water supply, or to throw employees out of work for no reason.

It's all too easy to shout "freedom", without thinking through what is needed to maintain a civilised society for the benefit of its citizens. There is always a trade-off between rights and responsibilities.

A person is free to do things in China that
are verboten in USA

 

[tytlyf]

An opinion piece from Big Oil lobbyists. Congrats, means nothing. But millions will fall for it.

"The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank founded by Charles G. Koch and funded by the Koch brothers. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
The Cato Institute is an "associate" member of the State Policy Network, a web of right-wing “think tanks” in every state across the country.[2] They are also part of the international Atlas Group network with links to the Institute for Humane Studies."

Cato Institute - SourceWatch

 

[crossfire]

Some snippets from the analysis on my state of Washington: With my added comments in green

• Washington is one of the worst states on labor-market freedom. It lacks a right-to-work law, limits choices for workers’ compensation programs, and has extremely high minimum wages relative to its wage base. It added paid family leave in 2017. {my comments: slavery was outlawed long ago.}
  
• Washington’s criminal justice policies are among the best in the nation. Incarceration and victimless crime arrest rates are far below national averages and fell substantially even before marijuana legalization. The state also reduced the cost of prison phone calls by nearly half in 2016. It is a top state for marijuana freedom. However, the state has done virtually nothing about civil asset forfeiture abuse. {my comments: which is it: law and order or reduce the justice system?}
  
• Marriage freedom is low because of a waiting period and lack of cousin and covenant marriage. {my comments: all contracts here have a 3 day waiting period, including marriage. As for marrying your cousin: go out of state to do that. As for covenant marriage: we are not into outlawing divorce}
  
• Educational freedom is substandard, with some of the toughest licensing, approval, testing, and record-keeping requirements for private schools and homeschools in the country. {my comments: yes, private education providers have to get background checks, including sex-offender checks.}

 

[pearl]

The Second Amendment is nearly a dead letter in Massachusetts: the state tries to make guns as expensive as possible (locking mandates; dealer licensing; license to purchase any gun, with safety training) and virtually prohibits carry in public.

And I'm ok with this. The downside, these laws seem impossible to carry out, as almost the news presents another shooting.

 

[Revoltingest]

Who would have thought that the Cato Institute "found" that Republicans are better than Democrats?
What a surprise!

What makes you think they found that?

 

[Guitar's Cry]

What would you change in Cato's criteria?
https://www.freedominthe50states.org/how-its-calculated

One thing I would add is public services displaying or promoting a single religion vs a diversity of religion or no religion at all.

Also, regulatory practices that favor individual citizens over corporations. For instance, regulating a factory's ability to pollute a river is less restrictive to citizen freedom than not having access to clean natural resources.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

They have been doing this for years.

It's factual.

Factual doesn't mean unbiased.

 

[Kooky]

covenant marriage

I had to google this. Wow, a "special form" of marriage that outlaws most reasons for divorce?

I mean, of course old male conservatives would think of this as their freedom to absue their wives, but the rest of the country just goes along with legalizing this? Seriously?

 

[Revoltingest]

One thing I would add is public services displaying or promoting a single religion vs a diversity of religion or no religion at all.

Also, regulatory practices that favor individual citizens over corporations. For instance, regulating a factory's ability to pollute a river is less restrictive to citizen freedom than not having access to clean natural resources.

That seems different from freedom under government.
This suggests more ways to rank states, eg, health
benefits, financial security.

 

[Kooky]

This suggests more ways to rank states, eg, health
benefits, financial security.

Imagine if there were organizations that actually did such a thing, rather than harping on the "freedom" to prevent your wife from legally divorcing you.

 

[Revoltingest]

Imagine if there were organizations that actually did such a thing, rather than harping on the "freedom" to prevent your wife from legally divorcing you.

If people willingly agree to marry under the condition
that divorce is subject to greater restrictions, I'd allow it.
But of course, I favor unrestricted divorce.

 

[metis]

An opinion piece from Big Oil lobbyists. Congrats, means nothing. But millions will fall for it.

"The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank founded by Charles G. Koch and funded by the Koch brothers. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
The Cato Institute is an "associate" member of the State Policy Network, a web of right-wing “think tanks” in every state across the country.[2] They are also part of the international Atlas Group network with links to the Institute for Humane Studies."

Cato Institute - SourceWatch

Thank you for beating me to the punch.

 

[Revoltingest]

An opinion piece from Big Oil lobbyists. Congrats, means nothing. But millions will fall for it.

"The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank founded by Charles G. Koch and funded by the Koch brothers. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
The Cato Institute is an "associate" member of the State Policy Network, a web of right-wing “think tanks” in every state across the country.[2] They are also part of the international Atlas Group network with links to the Institute for Humane Studies."

Cato Institute - SourceWatch

Heaven forbid that anyone have a libertarian bias.
That kind of thinking would threaten such valued institutions
as civil forfeiture abuse, police immunity from civil suits,
imprisoning people for victimless crimes. Western civilization
would crumble if people had too much liberty.

 

[anna.]

Some snippets from the analysis on my state of Washington: With my added comments in green

• Washington is one of the worst states on labor-market freedom. It lacks a right-to-work law, limits choices for workers’ compensation programs, and has extremely high minimum wages relative to its wage base. It added paid family leave in 2017. {my comments: slavery was outlawed long ago.}
  
• Washington’s criminal justice policies are among the best in the nation. Incarceration and victimless crime arrest rates are far below national averages and fell substantially even before marijuana legalization. The state also reduced the cost of prison phone calls by nearly half in 2016. It is a top state for marijuana freedom. However, the state has done virtually nothing about civil asset forfeiture abuse. {my comments: which is it: law and order or reduce the justice system?}
  
• Marriage freedom is low because of a waiting period and lack of cousin and covenant marriage. {my comments: all contracts here have a 3 day waiting period, including marriage. As for marrying your cousin: go out of state to do that. As for covenant marriage: we are not into outlawing divorce}
  
• Educational freedom is substandard, with some of the toughest licensing, approval, testing, and record-keeping requirements for private schools and homeschools in the country. {my comments: yes, private education providers have to get background checks, including sex-offender checks.}

Well done!

 

[anna.]

Which both lead me to note that there is nothing in all of the measures used that assesses outcomes -- desirable or undesirable. Fiscal policy may result in lower taxes, for example, but lower taxes can mean less means to provide assistance for those in dire need. Fact is, absent such means, sleeping under bridges, begging in the streets and stealing bread become last but necessary resorts.

Freedom, while important, is not the only measure of general quality of human life.

Freedom can be used very selfishly, by individuals and governments alike.