Virginia once again ranks middle of the pack in the Freedom Rankings, holding the position of the 21st freest state in the country.
Every few years, the Cato Institute, a conservative think tank, ranks all 50 states and assigns them a "freedom rank." The idea is to rank states in terms of where residents are the freest, meaning where government intrudes on their lives the least. The organization focuses on two main components to arrive at their composite score: fiscal and personal freedom. Some attention is also paid to regulatory freedom as well. In the most recent study, Virginia was ranked the 21st freest state in the country. By comparison, Maryland ranked near the bottom of the barrel in 46th place. Since 2000, Virginia has consistently ranked in the middle of the pack. In 2012, the Commonwealth ranked 24th, meaning that the most recent results actually represent a positive change. One plus is the fact that Virginia's tax structure is incredibly decentralized. Virginians face a bel0w-average state tax burden. Government subsidies also tend to be low, and the state recently reached just 3.6 percent unemployment, which is far below what economists consider to be "full employment." As recently as 2009, Virginia ranked ninth in terms of fiscal freedom, though that ranking has slipped in recent years down to 12th. One reason for this is the ballooning number of Virginia's state employees, whose pensions and benefits amount to a significant amount of unfunded liabilities. The increasing cost of living in the Commonwealth of Virginia also attributed to the slight decline.
Any decline in fiscal freedom, however, is easily made up for in terms of personal freedom. The most recent ranking saw Virginia jump 11 places between 2012 and 2014 in the personal freedom index. Though, this sounds less impressive in context. Since 2000, Virginia has ranked between 45th and 48th in terms of personal freedom. Today, the Commonwealth is ranked 34th in the country. This 11-spot jump is largely attributed to the fact that Virginia's strict ban on gay marriage was overturned in 2014. The state is still weighed down by its incarceration rate which, even after controlling for crime rates, is the highest in the country. Virginia's legislature is debating a number of criminal justice reform measures, including efforts to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, which would likely increase Virginia's freedom rank if passed.
Another minus for Virginia is the state's liquor laws. While not nearly as complicated as other states, alcohol freedom in the Commonwealth is still sub-par. Virginia has also historically been one of the best states for gun rights, and analysts actually see that score increasing in recent years.
Where Virginia seems to struggle is in the area of political competitiveness. Analysts estimate that Virginia has just 0.5 competing jurisdictions per 100 square miles, giving Virginians fewer choices when it comes to local governance. That means that on average, only one local government can be found within a 200-square-mile range. Obviously, that number is skewed by the more rural areas of the state, but the overall average is still well below the national average. On top of that, gerrymandered legislative districts make it harder for Virginians to significantly change their congressional and state government representation, meaning that significant change is harder to accomplish. That could explain why Virginia's freedom rankings are so static.
Overall, Virginia's freedom rank is middle of the pack nationwide, but still a much better option for D.C.-commuters than Maryland.
What do you think? Is Virginia becoming more or less free? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!
