Although Texas is frequently praised for its strong economic freedom, the state confronts several obstacles when it comes to individual liberties. Texas falls well short of many of its contemporaries in terms of personal freedom, according to the Freedom in the 50 States assessment. Despite having low tax rates and a business-friendly climate, Texas has one of the lowest personal freedom rankings in the state due to regulations pertaining to drug legislation, criminal justice, and other civil freedoms.
A wide number of policy domains are included under personal freedom. This aspect is separated into many groups by the index, including:
- Criminal Justice Policies: Incarceration rates and arrests for victimless crimes
- Substance Regulations: Tobacco and marijuana laws, alcohol regulations
- Civil Liberties: Gun rights, educational freedom, marriage freedom, and asset forfeiture
- Other Areas: Gambling, travel freedom, and campaign finance freedom
The weighting of these categories is determined by how directly and indirectly they affect people. For example, limits on religious freedom or gun rights are examples of regulations that reflect larger concerns about individual autonomy, while other policies have obvious economic consequences (such as the consumer surplus lost as a result of marijuana prohibition).
Texas has a low personal freedom rating, even though it is known for being a stronghold of liberty in other areas. The rating states that features such as strict drug laws and strong criminal justice systems significantly punish personal rights. For example:
- Criminal Justice: Texas has among of the highest rates of incarceration in the country, a result of legislation that not only puts a burden on public funds but also limits people’s freedom by subjecting them to the long-term repercussions of little violations.
- Substance and Social Policies:Texas’s poor score is a result of its severe marijuana regulations as well as its prohibitions on gambling and alcohol consumption. These policies frequently have high “victim costs,” where the wider social and psychological effects on people are not completely taken into consideration from an economic standpoint.
The index emphasizes that individual liberties are seen as essential rights, much like the freedom to practice any religion or not. These rights “are freedoms that every person rationally desires,” according to one of the index’s creators. However, Texas has several laws that restrict these liberties, which makes the state’s high economic freedom and poor personal freedom glaringly different.
According to the index, Texas needs a more comprehensive approach to governing, as seen by the gap among its economic success and its lack of personal freedom.
Texas’ poor score for personal freedom indicates underlying problems in social control and criminal justice, even as its economic initiatives continue to spur development and draw investment.
