As one might expect in days of creeping corporatism, the interest in economic freedom is growing among economic policy thinkers. You have a great opportunity to get a little more education on this on April 14th, noon at the Minneapolis Hilton, from a talk by Lawrence McQuillan of the Pacific Research Institute. Titled "The Sizzle of Economic Freedom", McQuillan argues that �along with extolling the virtue of liberty, conservatives should be selling the everyday benefits of economic freedom. � He will highlight the results of PRI's U.S. Economic Freedom Index and how Minnesota compares. I used that index a few years back when Minnesota was 44th. I'm not sure if we got better or other states got worse, but the new index puts Minnesota at 26th. Not good, not even average (we have expectations to be better than average here in Lake Wobegon County, donchaknow!), but perhaps in all the Sturm und Drang of this legislative season, a way in which we can say ideas on liberty are making inroads in this state. I'm sure Dr. McQuillan will hit on these points. Classroom duties will keep me away, but I hope you'll attend.

UPDATE: John LaPlante published a few weeks ago on the Mercatus Center's alternative ranking of the states. Minnesota did far worse in that index. How can these things flip around so much? Read my book.

Labels: economics, Minneapolis, Minnesota