U.S. falls out of top 10 in Index of Economic Freedom

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Washington Examiner:

The United States has fallen out of the top 10 countries in the 2014 Index of Economic Freedom published jointly by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal.

 

The index, the 20th published by the two organizations, rates countries by 10 criteria. In the 2014 edition released Monday night, the U.S. fell two spots to 12th place, leapfrogged by both Ireland and Estonia. Hong Kong ranked first, as it has every year.

 

America's score on the index has fallen for seven straight years, and the conservative Heritage Foundation now ranks the U.S. as only "mostly free." The top countries on the index -- Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand and Canada -- all rank as "free." The decline in America's ranking was driven by slipping scores in the categories of "fiscal freedom, business freedom and property rights."

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America's Dwindling Economic Freedom

Regulation, taxes and debt knock the U.S. out of the world's top 10.

 

Terry Miller

Jan. 13, 2014

 

World economic freedom has reached record levels, according to the 2014 Index of Economic Freedom, released Tuesday by the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal. But after seven straight years of decline, the U.S. has dropped out of the top 10 most economically free countries.

 

For 20 years, the index has measured a nation's commitment to free enterprise on a scale of 0 to 100 by evaluating 10 categories, including fiscal soundness, government size and property rights. These commitments have powerful effects: Countries achieving higher levels of economic freedom consistently and measurably outperform others in economic growth, long-term prosperity and social progress. Botswana, for example, has made gains through low tax rates and political stability.

 

Those losing freedom, on the other hand, risk economic stagnation, high unemployment and deteriorating social conditions. For instance, heavy-handed government intervention in Brazil's economy continues to limit mobility and fuel a sense of injustice.

 

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But Chris Christie Block Traffic On A Bridge!!!!

[Valin]

FYI

 

Index of Economic Freedom

[Valin]

The 10 Worst Regulations of 2013

James L. Gattuso and Diane Katz

12/31/13

 

The year 2013 will be remembered for many things, not least the miles of red tape that were imposed on Americans. It has been a very busy year for regulators, who imposed new dictates on everything from the food people eat to the loans they obtain and the health insurance they buy (or lose).

 

Which are the worst new rules? There are so many choices, and there is no objective measurement, but here is our take on the bottom 10: