Nebraska Competitiveness Rankings
One of the Platte Institute's main missions is to promote economic policies that will make Nebraska more attractive to individuals and businesses and help the Nebraskan economy grow. In pursuance of that mission, we would like to make it easier for people to evaluate how Nebraska stacks up against the other states in the Union, so we can see how competitive we are, and how far we still have to go to be the most competitive and economically free state in the nation. As part of this effort, here are a list of resources that may be accessed to assess Nebraska's economic competitiveness relative to other states:
Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer Economic Competitiveness Index
This annual publication released by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) presents state economic outlook rankings based on policies that have an impact on growth, revealing which states have the best chance of experiencing economic recovery, and which need to re-examine their policies before they can see improvement.
For Nebraska's specific score, click here.
Freedom in the 50 States: An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom
In this unique index, the Mercatus Center of George Mason University breaks down and ranks each state on public policies affecting individual freedom in the economic, social, and personal spheres. Using a variety of new variables to ensure the rankings are as accurate as possible, this study pinpoints which states are the freest in the land of the free.
2011 State Business Tax Climate Index
This annual study by the Tax Foundation is a great aid to policymakers and individuals wishing to know how Nebraska stacks up compared to other states when it comes to having a business-friendly atmosphere. Looking at tax rates, subsidies, tax credits, and other various incentives, this index ranks the states and gives a clear picture to businesses, lawmakers, and individuals alike of which states are open for business and which one's are not.
Some other websites that may be of interest:
http://www.thirdway.org/taxreceipt: This website calculates how much of yuor federal taxes go to different agencies and programs, like Defense, Social Security, and the Post Office.
http://interactive.taxfoundation.org/propertytax/: This site will show you how much you pay in property taxes, and how that stacks up to the rest of the nation.
http://www.nebraskaspending.gov/spent1011/: This tool shows how much the state of Nebraska spends every year, and where the money goes.
http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/income_rank/: This site will help you calculate income tax, and what portion of the tax burden you bear.
http://www.transparencynebraska.org/: Curious about what state officials make? This website breaks it down.
http://farm.ewg.org/: This site acts as a database for farm subsidies, so you can find out how much each state receives from the federal government when it coems to subsidies.
