This project provides data on state and local public policies, currently coded as of December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2008. This PDF codebook provides an introduction to the project, including state scores on the policy liberalism and civil libertarianism indices.

William P. Ruger

William P. Ruger is an affiliated scholar with the Mercatus Center and an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the Texas State University – San Marcos. His research interests include international politics, security studies, civil-military relations, U.S. foreign policy, ethics and international relations, and political theory. His latest work, co-authored with Jason Sorens, is Freedom in the 50 States: Index of Personal and Economic Freedom, published by the Mercatus Center and available here. For more information about Freedom in the 50 States, including data sets, related research, and updates, please visit http://www.statepolicyindex.com/.

Professor Ruger received an A.B from the College of William and Mary and a Ph.D. in Politics from Brandeis University.

Jason Sorens

Jason Sorens is an affiliated scholar with the Mercatus Center and an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Buffalo (SUNY). His research interests include fiscal federalism, secessionism, ethnic violence, and comparative federalism. Professor Sorens has published work in Electoral Studies, Comparative Political Studies, State Politics and Policy Quarterly, and other journals. His latest work, co-authored with William P. Ruger, is Freedom in the 50 States: Index of Personal and Economic Freedom, published by the Mercatus Center and available here. For more information about Freedom in the 50 States, including data sets, related research, and updates, please visit http://www.statepolicyindex.com/.

Professor Sorens received a B.A. in Economics and Philosophy, with honors, from Washington and Lee Univeristy and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University.