Are you better off than you were 40 years ago?

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Veronique de Rugy makes a strong case that freedom has increased in the U.S. since reason began publication in 1968 ("Are You Better Off Than You Were 40 Years Ago?," December). One additional data point in her favor comes from the Fraser Institute's annual Economic Freedom of the World report, which measures on a zero-to-10 scale the degree to which a country's policies are consistent with economic freedom. The report shows economic freedom in the U.S. increasing from 7.61 in 1970 to 7.86 in 2006, the most recent year for which data are available.

Joshua Hall

Economics and Management Department

Beloit College

Beloit, WI