This is rather silly.
It's not measuring "free trade" per se. It's measuring
economic freedom."
An honest actor would include this information:
How do you measure economic freedom?
We measure economic freedom based on 12 quantitative and qualitative factors, grouped into four broad categories, or pillars, of economic freedom:
- Rule of Law (property rights, government integrity, judicial effectiveness);
- Government Size (government spending, tax burden, fiscal health);
- Regulatory Efficiency (business freedom, labor freedom, monetary freedom); and
- Open Markets (trade freedom, investment freedom, financial freedom).
America does have some very serious problems-- because it has some entire States that have been economically destroyed by decades of Democrat governance.
California alone-- has a population that exceeds all of Canada's and housing is completely unaffordable for young people starting out. Taxation is through the roof, and Sacramento sets the housing policies so there is no local control. Regulations are insurmountable. Government is bloated beyond belief.
So in light of the economic freedom criteria that the Heritage Foundation is measuring, how do you think California is doing? Now do New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, Oregon, Washington....... and so on.
@HeIsHere do try to be intellectually honest in your presentation. It's a bad look right now.