ALEC Report: Rich States, Poor States, 2014 Edition

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has released its 2014 edition of Rich States, Poor States: State Economic Competitiveness Index.  Throughout the country, states are looking for ways to energize their economies and become more competitive. Each state confronts this task with a set of policy decisions unique to their own situation, but not all state policies lead to economic prosperity.

Using years of economic data and empirical evidence from each state, the authors identify which policies can lead a state to economic prosperity. Rich States, Poor States not only identifies these policies but also makes sound research-based conclusions about which states are poised to achieve greater economic prosperity and those that are stuck on the path to a lackluster economy.

The 2014 economic outlook ranking is a forward-looking measure of how each state can expect to perform economically based on 15 policy areas that have proven, over time, to be the best determinants of economic success.

Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index is an annual economic competitiveness study authored by economist Dr. Arthur Laffer, Stephen Moore, chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, and Jonathan Williams, Director of the Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force at the American Legislative Exchange Council.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL

The American Legislative Exchange Council works to advance limited government, free markets, and federalism at the state level through a nonpartisan public-private partnership of America’s state legislators, members of the private sector and the general public.

2014 Economic Outlook Rank Utah South Dakota Indiana North Dakota Idaho North Carolina Arizona Nevada Georgia Wyoming Virginia Michigan Texas Mississippi Kansas Florida Wisconsin Alaska Tennessee Alabama Oklahoma Colorado Ohio Missouri Iowa Arkansas Delaware Massachusetts Louisiana West Virginia South Carolina New Hampshire Pennsylvania Maryland Nebraska Hawaii New Mexico Washington Kentucky Maine Rhode Island Oregon Montana Connecticut New Jersey Minnesota California Illinois Vermont New York

Economic Performance Rank Texas Utah Wyoming North Dakota Montana Washington Nevada Arizona Oklahoma Idaho Alaska North Carolina Oregon Virginia South Dakota Colorado Hawaii West Virginia Florida Nebraska Arkansas South Carolina New Mexico Iowa Tennessee Delaware Georgia Kentucky Louisiana Alabama Maryland Kansas Minnesota New Hampshire New York Vermont Pennsylvania Indiana Mississippi Missouri Massachusetts Maine California Wisconsin Connecticut Illinois Rhode Island New Jersey Ohio Michigan

Historical Rich States, Poor States

6th Edition | 5th Edition | 4th Edition