Progressives for the most part acknowledge the need for free enterprise.  Where they disagree with conservatives is on the policies that enable it.  Whereas conservatives believe in deregulation, progressives minimize or dismiss the disadvantages of overregulation.  Some progressives even believe that regulations have a “positive” effect on job growth as entrepreneurs innovate to comply with the changing economic landscape.  Since these strategies are mutually exclusive, both sides cannot be right.  Unfortunately, there is no high profile smoking gun that vindicates either side because societies are complex and standards of living are affected by many variables unrelated to local policies.  Even within the U.S., states vary widely in their demographic make-up, per capita GDP, and consumption of federal expenditures.  Any analysis that does not take any of these variables into account is little better than comparing apples to...(Read Full Article)