i was just struck by singapore's ranking of #1 on the 2021 heritage foundation world economic freedom index, new zealand at #2 and australia at #3 round out the top countries. all 3 require masks and vaccine for appropriate activities like school. Country Rankings: World & Global Economy Rankings on Economic Freedom (heritage.org) why can't the usa be #1 in freedom?
I don't think mask and vaccine requirements impact their Economic Freedom Score ranking. It is difficult to judge their ranking system without greater investigation but when I read their summary for the US the rising debt seems to be the major cause for our declining position. My personal opinion is this is what happens when conservatives abandon their fiscal principles and run up the debt like drunken democrats. We raise spending cut revenues and everyone cheers. Instead of promoting strong rational economic policy we focus or irrelevant social justice / culture war issues. We scream about inflation but have no ideas which policy caused it or have policy positions to alleviate it.
"The major obstacles to greater economic freedom in the United States continue to be excessive government spending, unsustainable levels of debt, and intrusive regulation of the health care and financial sectors" per their site. Of course it is the Heritage Foundation....
New Zealand used to be one of the most regulated economies in the world, then in the 80s they changed direction and became one of the most free economies on the planet. Give it a few years, they're in the process of reverting. Singapore is a free port island city state. What it can do on economics is not comparable to large developed economies. Australia (my country) does alright, but we are able to have better tax policy because we are so heavily dependent on the resources sector. _________________________________________ I do think the US (Federally) is generally one of the worst out there for economic and regulatory policy. Then again, they're right up there on personal freedoms.