AUSTIN – Texas ranks third for economic freedom in the United States according to a new study released this month by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. The report, Economic Freedom of North America 2015, ranks states based on their levels of economic freedom—measured in size of government, taxation, regulation, rule of law, etc.—using data from 2013, the most recent year of available data. The report’s subnational ranking system spotlights state and local government policy, comparing U.S. states to U.S. states.
New Hampshire grabbed the top spot followed by South Dakota, Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. New York is the least-free state followed by California, Alaska, Hawaii and New Mexico. This is the eleventh edition of the annual report, which measures the extent to which state policies are supportive of economic freedom—the ability of individuals to act in the economic sphere free of undue restrictions. The Texas Public Policy Foundation issued the following statement on Texas’ first-place ranking in economic freedom in the United States:
“Texas continues to rank among the top-five states for economic freedom—it’s no coincidence that over the past decade, Texas has also led its big state peers in the growth of jobs and the economy,” said Chuck DeVore, a vice president with the Foundation.
To read the report, please visit: http://txpo.li/1YeBs6R
To schedule an interview with Mr. DeVore or TPPF Economist Vance Ginn, please contact Caroline Espinosa at 512-472-2700 or [email protected].
The Honorable Chuck DeVore is the Vice President for National Initiatives at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He served six years in the California Assembly and is the author of “The Texas Model: Prosperity in the Lone Star State and Lessons for America.”
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas.