For millions of Americans, the American Dream feels harder to reach than it did a generation ago.
Essentials like housing, energy, and groceries cost more now, tightening the budgets of families and small businesses.
But some states are showing a better path: When government removes barriers and gives people more freedom to build, invest, and work, opportunity grows, and costs go down.
That helps explain why states like Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina continue to attract new residents, businesses, and investment, and are consistently ranked among the nation’s fastest-growing.
H2. Opportunity grows where people are free to build
Economic growth is often discussed in terms of percentages and reports.
For most families and small businesses, it looks different.
It looks like more employers hiring, more small businesses opening their doors, more homes being built, and more choices for workers and consumers.
States like Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina have each taken steps to promote this growth:
- Florida has no state individual income tax, allowing workers and entrepreneurs to keep more of what they earn.
- Georgia passed legislation that created clear timelines for local land permitting, helping builders avoid unnecessary and costly delays when building houses.
- North Carolina’s lawmakers passed a REINS Act-style law, which requires legislative approval for regulations costing $20 million or more over a five-year period, restricting the bloated administrative state.
Lower taxes and fewer regulations have a proven track record in many states.
These policies just make sense, too.
An entrepreneur considering a new restaurant, a contractor thinking about hiring another crew, or a manufacturer deciding whether to expand all ask the same question: Will the investment be worth it?
When government allows businesses to keep more of what they earn and encourages investment, it creates a stable environment that attracts businesses and families fleeing from high-tax, high-regulation progressive states.
Those decisions create jobs, attract investment, and strengthen local communities.
Competition and low taxes make life better
In addition to encouraging business growth, economic freedom encourages competition.
Businesses compete for customers every day. To succeed, they constantly look for ways to improve quality, reduce waste, and use their resources more efficiently — passing the savings on to you.
When companies discover faster ways to build homes, move products, or manufacture goods, those savings lead to lower prices and more choices.
Heavy taxes and burdensome regulations work in the opposite direction.
California’s top individual income tax rate reaches 13.3%, while New York’s top state rate is 10.9% before New York City’s local income taxes are added. Both states also rank near the bottom of national tax competitiveness.
Those states have also added layers of costly permitting requirements, environmental reviews, and business regulations that increase the costs and stress associated with expanding housing, building infrastructure, and opening new businesses.
These states — and others with burdensome tax and regulatory policies — are losing people.
When people and businesses leave, their communities lose jobs, income, investment, and opportunity. It’s a clear example of people “voting with their feet,” and is why we push for pro-prosperity policies in every state.
Families and businesses are choosing to invest and grow somewhere else.
Growth strengthens the American Dream
The American Dream has always been about opportunity.
People want the freedom to build a business, buy a home, raise a family, and leave something better for the next generation.
That becomes easier when communities welcome investment instead of discouraging it.
Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina demonstrate an important principle: Policies that reward work, encourage entrepreneurship, and remove unnecessary barriers create an environment where people want to live, businesses want to invest, and communities continue to grow.
The lesson reaches far beyond any one state.
When government creates room for builders to build, entrepreneurs to innovate, and workers to succeed, everyone benefits, and people relocate accordingly.
This growth and opportunity are foundational to the American Dream.
You can help us advocate for policies that help all of us reach the American Dream. Tell Congress to remove barriers to growth and reduce costs for everyday Americans.
Write to Congress here.