Social mobility does not get much attention from free-market think tanks, and it should. That’s why the Mackinac Center and the Archbridge Institute jointly published a report on social mobility in Michigan.
What is social mobility? It’s the right to use your God- given talents to pursue a meaningful life for yourself and family. Thomas Jefferson called it “the pursuit of happiness.” It is something we often take for granted in the Land of the Free, but it is increasingly under threat from the seemingly endless list of rules, mandates and dictates issued by local, state and federal governments.
The Archbridge Institute created a state ranking of social mobility in 2023. It compared states based on their regulations, taxes, business dynamism, legal systems, education, skill development, community involvement and charitable activities, among other things. The five highest-ranking states were Utah, Minnesota, Montana, Delaware and Vermont.
Anyone who ranks states based on complex policies risks exaggerating minor differences. But Archbridge’s “Social Mobility Index in the 50 States” is reliably constructed. Its rankings are tightly correlated with poverty rates: The more social mobility in a state, the less poverty it has. This is what basic economic theory would predict.
Continue reading at IMPACT Magazine.
Read Social Mobility in Michigan: Where Do We Go From Here? here.
Read Social Mobility in the 50 States here.
Justin Callais, PhD, is the Chief Economist at the Archbridge Institute. He leads the institute’s “Social Mobility in the 50 States” project and conducts original research on economic mobility, economic freedom, economic development, and institutional analysis. Follow his work @JustinTCallais and subscribe to his newsletter, Debunking Degrowth.
Economics of Flourishing
Social mobility does not get much attention from free-market think tanks, and it should. That’s why the Mackinac Center and the Archbridge Institute jointly published a report on social mobility in Michigan.
What is social mobility? It’s the right to use your God- given talents to pursue a meaningful life for yourself and family. Thomas Jefferson called it “the pursuit of happiness.” It is something we often take for granted in the Land of the Free, but it is increasingly under threat from the seemingly endless list of rules, mandates and dictates issued by local, state and federal governments.
The Archbridge Institute created a state ranking of social mobility in 2023. It compared states based on their regulations, taxes, business dynamism, legal systems, education, skill development, community involvement and charitable activities, among other things. The five highest-ranking states were Utah, Minnesota, Montana, Delaware and Vermont.
Anyone who ranks states based on complex policies risks exaggerating minor differences. But Archbridge’s “Social Mobility Index in the 50 States” is reliably constructed. Its rankings are tightly correlated with poverty rates: The more social mobility in a state, the less poverty it has. This is what basic economic theory would predict.
Continue reading at IMPACT Magazine.
Read Social Mobility in Michigan: Where Do We Go From Here? here.
Read Social Mobility in the 50 States here.
Michael Van Beek
Justin T. Callais
Justin Callais, PhD, is the Chief Economist at the Archbridge Institute. He leads the institute’s “Social Mobility in the 50 States” project and conducts original research on economic mobility, economic freedom, economic development, and institutional analysis. Follow his work @JustinTCallais and subscribe to his newsletter, Debunking Degrowth.
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