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FRASER INSIGHT
Issue 58 | Winter 2021
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Happy New Year! Welcome back to Fraser Insight, the Fraser Institute’s U.S. newsletter.
This issue of Insight is highlighted by the Institute’s annual Economic Freedom of North America report (EFNA). New Hampshire retains its status as the most economically-free state in the union. Yet again, New York is dead last in the U.S. rankings. Find out where your state ranks in our In Focus section. Related, the In Context section offers news about our annual EFNA Network event.
As always, our In Print section showcases timely commentaries, op-eds and blogs. This issue features pieces discussing the EFNA report, the Biden presidency, the EU’s shortcomings and the PRC menace.
We encourage you to share Fraser Insight with friends and colleagues by inviting them to sign up for Insight here [[link removed]]. Visit our website [[link removed]], which serves as a storehouse for cogent commentary [[link removed]] and in-depth analysis [[link removed]]—all from a free-market perspective. Follow us on Twitter [[link removed]] @FraserInstitute. Join us on Facebook [[link removed]]. And check out the In Touch section for more contact info.
In Print: Commentary and Review
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EFNA Network Zooms Ahead [[link removed]]
Fraser Insight, January 2021
The Fraser Institute’s EFNA Network now enfolds 58 members in 44 states, Canada and Mexico. Thanks to the efforts of these members, the EFNA report has been featured in 105 U.S. newspapers.
Hope Springs Eternal for Freedom Worldwide [[link removed]]
Fraser Forum, December 18, 2020
As freedom recedes globally, the question is whether the tide has turned for good. Pessimism is in order for the short-run, but history provides hope for the long-run.
Deep Flaw in EU Architecture Can Erase Pro-Market Reforms [[link removed]]
Fraser Forum, December 14, 2020
Mechanisms employed by the EU to steer candidate-members on the path of liberal economic reforms disappear once a state joins the bloc. A new study shows that pro-market reforms were mostly made in the application phase. They slowed down, stopped or went into reverse after EU membership was granted.
Biden Presidency Poses New Risks for North American Energy Sector [[link removed]]
Fraser Forum, November 6, 2020
President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline. And his plan to wean the U.S. off fossil fuels will likely have negative impacts on the oil and gas sector.
China’s Attack on Hong Kong’s Freedom Must Be Exposed [[link removed]]
Calgary Sun, October 14, 2020
It’s important for news outlets to expose the CCP’s false arguments so they don’t lurk in the dark.
In Focus: Research and Analysis
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Economic Freedom of North America 2020 [[link removed]]
New Hampshire retains its status as the most economically free state in the union, followed by Florida (2nd), Virginia (3rd), Texas (4th) and Tennessee (5th). At the other end of the spectrum, New York is again dead last, with West Virginia (49th), Alaska (48th), California (47th) and Vermont (46th) joining the Empire State in the EFNA cellar.
The 2020 Generosity Index [[link removed]]
Utah takes the top spot on the Fraser Institute’s latest Generosity Index, which measures private monetary generosity using readily available data, as recorded on personal income tax returns in Canada and the United States. U.S. jurisdictions dominate the top of the rankings, with the District of Columbia, Maryland, Georgia, California and Virginia joining Utah in the top eight.
Essential Scholars Series: The Essential Robert Nozick [[link removed]]
Robert Nozick was a professor of philosophy at Harvard University best known for his contributions to political philosophy. His 1974 book Anarchy, State and Utopia helped establish the classical liberal or libertarian perspective as a viable alternative to redistributive egalitarian liberalism and to socialism.
Human Freedom Index [[link removed]]
New Zealand tops this year’s Human Freedom Index (HFI). Taking into account the rule of law, safety and security, identity and relationships, freedom of movement, speech, assembly and religion, and economic freedom, the HFI is the world’s most comprehensive measure of individual freedom. Following New Zealand are Switzerland, Hong Kong, Denmark and Australia. (The HFI’s authors expect Hong Kong’s score to decline significantly in coming years due to Beijing’s accelerated suppression.) The United States is ranked 17th. The least free countries are Iran, Yemen, Venezuela, Sudan and Syria.
In Context: News and Events
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EFNA Network Zooms into 2021
The sixth annual meeting of the EFNA Network—held for the first time via Zoom due to the pandemic—brought together partners from Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Iowa, Texas, New Mexico, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Ohio, North Carolina, Mexico and Canada. The program was highlighted by presentations from Drew Cline of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy [[link removed]] in New Hampshire, John Hendrickson of the Tax Education Foundation [[link removed]] in Iowa and Rik Hafer of the Hammond Institute [[link removed]] at Lindenwood University in Missouri.
These organizations are part of a continent-wide partnership that now enfolds 58 members in 44 states, Canada and Mexico. The EFNA Network is doing great work publicizing the report and spreading its message of economic opportunity. For example, during the 2019-20 cycle, the EFNA Network generated 512 U.S. media mentions in traditional media outlets. Since the Network’s creation in 2014, the EFNA report has been featured in 105 U.S. newspapers in 41 states. These local media placements are generating interest in state policymaking circles: Partners in Michigan, Ohio, Texas and New Hampshire have been especially adept at getting the report into the hands of legislators and governors. And those lawmakers are publicly citing the EFNA report and rankings. This, in turn, has enhanced the report’s impact on national media, with CNBC, Fox, The Hill, Forbes, Real Clear Policy, Washington Examiner, American Spectator and National Review Online all citing the report since the Network’s founding.
For more on the great work of the EFNA Network, click here [[link removed]]. And for a full recap of our annual Network event, click here [[link removed]].
In Touch: Connect with Us
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To learn more about our research team, visit our senior staff [[link removed]] and senior fellow [[link removed]] pages. We always welcome your feedback at [
[email protected]]. To find out more about supporting the Fraser Institute, call (800) 665-3558, ext.568, or donate online [[link removed]].
The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of 86 think-tanks. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. To find out more, call (800) 665-3558 ext. 590.
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