A Comparison of Indices that Rank State Economic Competitiveness

Studies from the Mercatus Center, the Tax Foundation, and the American Legislative Exchange Council have ranked the states on the basis of their economic and social policies. These organizations have designed indices to help individuals select states with the fiscal climates that most closely match their ideals as well as to provide state policymakers with ways to compare their states’ legal and economic climates. Each of these indices approach state economic competitiveness from a different angle, but their broad similarities allow for a side-by-side comparison and an overview of state economic freedom.