Study Finds Liberal States are Less Free
Lighter=More Free
Observational experience alone has long taught us that where modern liberalism proliferates, freedom diminishes.
Modern liberalism is based on the belief that government can better decide how a person should live, how their money should be spent, and that societal equality of outcome should be dictated by the strong hand of government power. When government assumes the role of a parent or dictator over the day-to-day lives of the citizens it should be serving, freedom naturally suffers.
Now there is a study which confirms this.
Newsmax reports on a study from the Mercatus Center of George Mason University which found the most liberal of the United States score lowest in personal freedom.
The study ranked New Hampshire, Colorado, and South Dakota at the top with a virtual tie. These states are characterized by low taxes and government spending, along with minimal regulation and government interference.
The worst states were (surprise) New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, and Maryland.
Study authors Dr. William Ruger of Texas State University and Dr. Jason Sorens of the University of Buffalo said
“The problem is that the cultural values of liberal governments seem on balance to require more regulation of individual behavior than do the cultural values of conservative governments,” say the study’s authors. “While liberal states are freer than conservative states on marijuana and same-sex partnership policies, when it comes to gun owners, home schoolers, motorists, or smokers, liberal states are nanny states, while conservative states are more tolerant.”
In the traditional terms of American values, liberal states tend to be…
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