In a free society, personal autonomy, civil liberties, and economic freedom are inextricably intertwined. “The Human Freedom Index” is an annual publication from the Cato Institute, the Fraser Institute, and the Liberales Institut of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom that aims to provide a careful measurement of the inherently valuable role that freedom plays in human progress. The index published here presents a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas:
- Rule of Law
- Security and Safety
- Movement
- Religion
- Association, Assembly, and Civil Society
- Expression
- Relationships
- Size of Government
- Legal System and Property Rights
- Access to Sound Money
- Freedom to Trade Internationally
- Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business
the 2016 rankings, the Top 10 Freest Countries across all categories – Hong Kong, Switzerland, New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Finland, Netherlands.
The United States ranked in 23rd place this year.
The least free are Libya, Yemen, Iran, Syria and the Central African Republic.
I would have thought that the USA would rank higher than 23rd. Having said that with the recent onslaught of onerous regulations and PC coercion to do what some think to be the “right thing” that has eroded some of our long held freedoms. My hope is that we will remain a country that is free enough to allow individuals to pursue their dreams and have an economic background that encourages that. #LandoftheFree
Ouch. As a veteran, I would like to see these numbers improve. the USA has the potential to create an environment where people can accomplish anything. Still, in the face of challenges, a true winner will overcome all odds.