Episode 68: Rich States, Poor States

Episode 68: Rich States, Poor States

From Fresh Freedom by Fresh Freedom

April 22, 2026 · 27 min

About this episode

The episode discusses government growth, economic policies, and the factors affecting state rankings with guest Jonathan Williams from ALEC.

- Filmed 4/20/26 - On this episode of Fresh Freedom, we sat down with Jonathan Williams, President and Chief Economist at ALEC, to break down why government continues to grow despite constant promises of limited government. We talked through the latest Rich States, Poor States rankings and what separates the states that are thriving from the ones falling behind. From tax policy and regulation to spending and labor laws, the data tells a clear story about what drives economic growth and what pushes people and businesses out. We also dug into the bigger issue of federal overreach, how states are becoming increasingly dependent on federal dollars, and what that means for the future of federalism. From Medicaid expansion to property taxes and runaway spending at the local level, this conversation highlights how policy decisions are directly impacting everyday Americans. If everyone claims to support limited government, why does it keep expanding? This is a conversation about what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to change. Follow the Podcast Here: https://www.youtube.com/@freshfreedompodcast https://rumble.com/c/c-2453760…

People in this episode

Host: Fresh Freedom

Guest: Jonathan Williams

Topics covered

  • government growth
  • economic policy
  • state rankings
  • federal overreach
  • tax policy
  • regulation
  • spending

Keywords

  • Rich States Poor States
  • economic growth
  • federalism
  • Medicaid expansion
  • property taxes
  • labor laws
  • state dependency

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ALEC

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