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A study by the Mercatus Institute, a libertarian think tank, found New Hampshire is the freest state in the nation. The study, which was released yesterday, determined the Granite State had the least number of government restrictions on economic and personal freedoms, including gun ownership.
William Ruger, co-author of the study and professor of political science at Texas State University, said they defined freedom according to a universally accepted idea.
"Freedom for us is the ability to do what you want to do with your life and property, as long as you don't directly infringe on the rights of others," he said. "This is a pretty standard definition that Americans for hundreds of years probably would have accepted."