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An Economic Freedom Index for U.S. Metropolitan Areas

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  • Stansel, Dean B.

Abstract

This paper is the first attempt to produce an economic freedom index for local economies in the U.S. It provides a more comprehensive measure of the restrictions government places upon economic freedom compared to simple fiscal measures like total government spending or revenue. That makes it a valuable tool for a wide variety of researchers seeking to investigate the impact of government upon society, including regional economists and researchers in state and local public finance. The two economic freedom indices of nations have stimulated a large body of such research. There are several similar indices that provide the same tool for those examining state governments. Like the other two sets of indices, higher levels of local economic freedom are found to be correlated with positive economic outcomes such as higher per capita income and lower unemployment.

Suggested Citation

  • Stansel, Dean B., 2013. "An Economic Freedom Index for U.S. Metropolitan Areas," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 43(1).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:jrapmc:243944
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.243944
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Charles M. Tiebout, 1956. "A Pure Theory of Local Expenditures," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 64, pages 416-416.
    2. Nathan J. Ashby, 2007. "Economic Freedom and Migration Flows between U.S. States," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 73(3), pages 677-697, January.
    3. Dean Stansel, 2011. "Why Some Cities Are Growing and Others Shrinking," Cato Journal, Cato Journal, Cato Institute, vol. 31(2), pages 285-303, Spring/Su.
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    Cited by:

    1. Murphy, Ryan H. & Yeom, Luke D., 2017. "The Long-Run Impact of Agricultural Diversity on Economic Freedom at the Local Level," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 48(1), October.
    2. Joshua C. Hall & Brad R. Humphreys & Jane E. Ruseski, 2018. "Economic Freedom and Exercise: Evidence from State Outcomes," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 84(4), pages 1050-1066, April.
    3. Coates, Dennis & Mirkina, Irina, 2021. "Economic Freedom of the Russian Federation," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 51(1), January.
    4. Davidsson, Michael & Cortes, Bienvenido, 2017. "The Role of the Housing Supply and the Regulatory Environment in Economic Growth of Micropolitan Statistical Areas," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 47(1).
    5. Claudio Detotto & Bryan C. McCannon, 2017. "Economic freedom and public, non-market institutions: evidence from criminal prosecution," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 107-128, May.
    6. Imran Arif & Adam Hoffer & Dean Stansel & Donald Lacombe, 2020. "Economic freedom and migration: A metro area‐level analysis," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 87(1), pages 170-190, July.
    7. Daniel L. Bennett, 2021. "Local economic freedom and creative destruction in America," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 333-353, January.
    8. Stansel, Dean & Tuszynski, Meg Patrick, 2017. "Sub-National Economic Freedom: A Review and Analysis of the Literature," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 48(1), October.
    9. Millsap, Adam A., 2017. "The Role of Economic Freedom in Intercity Competition: A Framework and Some Evidence from U.S. Metropolitan Areas," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 48(2), November.
    10. Justin T. Callais & Jamie Bologna Pavlik, 2023. "Does economic freedom lighten the blow? Evidence from the great recession in the United States," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 357-398, September.
    11. Foley, Maggie & Clark, J.R., 2016. "Economic Freedom and Real Income," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 46(1).
    12. Ballinger, T. Parker & Habegger, Wendy & Jones, Clifton T. & Thompson, Mark A., 2016. "Convergence in Venture Capital Investments: Evidence from a Panel of 18 US Regions," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 46(2), December.
    13. Imran Arif & John W. Dawson, 2023. "Pro‐market institutions and labor market outcomes: A panel‐data analysis of U.S. metropolitan areas," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 41(4), pages 629-652, October.
    14. Stansel, Dean, 2019. "Economic Freedom in U.S. Metropolitan Areas," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 49(1), March.
    15. Patrick L. Anderson, 2019. "Business strategy and firm location decisions: testing traditional and modern methods," Business Economics, Palgrave Macmillan;National Association for Business Economics, vol. 54(1), pages 35-60, January.
    16. Hall, Joshua C., 2015. "Local Government Border Congruence and the Fiscal Commons: Evidence from Ohio School Districts," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 45(2).
    17. Joshua C. Hall & Donald J. Lacombe & Timothy M. Shaughnessy, 2019. "Economic Freedom And Income Levels Across U.S. States: A Spatial Panel Data Analysis," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 37(1), pages 40-49, January.
    18. Nathanael D. Peach & Luke A. Petach, 2016. "Development and Quality of Life in Cities," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 30(1), pages 32-45, February.
    19. Jamie Bologna, 2017. "Corruption, Product Market Competition, And Institutional Quality: Empirical Evidence From The U.S. States," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 55(1), pages 137-159, January.
    20. Shakya, Shishir & Plemmons, Alicia, 2021. "The Impact of Economic Freedom on Startups," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 51(1), January.
    21. Richard J. Cebula, 2016. "Do Regional Differentials in Economic Freedom Yield Regional Unemployment Rate Differentials in the U.S.? A Brief Exploratory Note Adopting Panel Data Analysis," Econometrics Letters, Bilimsel Mektuplar Organizasyonu (Scientific letters), vol. 3(1), pages 11-25.
    22. Gary A. Wagner & Timothy M. Komarek, 2023. "How does municipal governance structure affect innovation and knowledge diffusion? Evidence from U.S. metro areas," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 287-330, September.
    23. Bologna, Jamie, 2014. "A Spatial Analysis of Entrepreneurship and Institutional Quality: Evidence from U.S. Metropolitan Areas," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 44(2).
    24. R. Warren Anderson, 2018. "The Detroit Discontinuity," Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 167-184, September.
    25. Ryan H. Murphy & Ellen Taylor & Dean Stansel, 2023. "Economic freedom at metropolitan statistical area borders," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 82(2), pages 141-149, March.

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