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The Impact of Economic Freedom and Personal Freedom on Net In-Migration in the U.S.: A State-Level Empirical Analysis, 2000 to 2010

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  • Richard Cebula

Abstract

Arguably, private enterprise flourishes under conditions of increased freedom. However, increases in economic freedom can sometimes impose costs on others (negative externalities and monopoly power being prominent examples). Nevertheless, on balance, it is typically expected that the greater the degree of economic freedom, the more successfully and efficiently markets perform and the greater the prosperity created through private enterprise. These net outcomes from greater freedom accelerate economic growth and development, which in turn creates opportunities for yet further success. From a different perspective, it can be argued that greater personal freedom promotes higher levels of utility for consumers in non-economic ways. Accordingly, the present study empirically investigates whether the prospects of greater economic freedom and/or greater personal freedom in any given state vis-à-vis other states act(s) to induce a greater net influx of migrants. This empirical study of internal U.S. migration over the study period from 2000 to 2010 finds clear evidence that migrants prefer to move to those states with greater economic freedom on the one hand and greater personal freedom on the other hand. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Richard Cebula, 2014. "The Impact of Economic Freedom and Personal Freedom on Net In-Migration in the U.S.: A State-Level Empirical Analysis, 2000 to 2010," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 88-103, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jlabre:v:35:y:2014:i:1:p:88-103
    DOI: 10.1007/s12122-014-9175-7
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    Cited by:

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    2. Joshua C. Hall & Brad R. Humphreys & Jane E. Ruseski, 2015. "Economic Freedom, Race, and Health Disparities: Evidence from US States," Working Papers 15-43, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    3. Witham, Adam & Leite, Brian, 2023. "Business is Hopping: The Effects of Deregulation on Southern Craft Beer," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 53(1), January.
    4. Cebula, Richard & Foley, Maggie, 2017. "The Effect of Labor Market Freedom and other Factors on US Settlement Pattern Decisions, 2012 and 2014," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 70(2), pages 133-152.
    5. Anna Bykova & Dennis Coates, 2022. "Professional team sporting success: do economic and personal freedom provide competitive advantages?," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 323-358, December.
    6. Murphy, Ryan H., 2016. "A Short Empirical Note on State Misery Indexes," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 46(2), December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Net in-migration; Economic freedom; Personal freedom; J61; J68; P14; R23;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Public Policy
    • P14 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Property Rights
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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