Migration, Economic Freedom, and Personal Freedom: An Empirical Analysis

Cebula, Richard and Clark, Jeff (2010): Migration, Economic Freedom, and Personal Freedom: An Empirical Analysis. Published in: The Journal of Private Enterprise , Vol. 27, No. 1 (23 June 2011): pp. 43-62.

Abstract

Economic freedom increases market efficiency, growth, development, and individual prosperity. This study empirically investigates whether higher levels of economic freedom, as well as higher levels of personal freedom, act like magnets for persons residing in a free society to move. In other words, do the prospects of both greater economic and personal freedom in any given state relative other states act to induce a greater influx of migrants? This empirical study of domestic migration between 2000 and 2008 finds clear evidence that migrants prefer to move to those states with greater economic freedom on the one hand and greater personal freedom on the other hand.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: labor markets; migration; economic freedom; personal freedom; tax avoidance
• Subjects: H - Public Economics > H2 - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue > H24 - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies; H - Public Economics > H3 - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents > H31 - Household; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Demand and Supply of Labor > J20 - General; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J6 - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers > J61 - Geographic Labor Mobility ; Immigrant Workers; P - Economic Systems > P1 - Capitalist Systems > P14 - Property Rights

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