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[Keyser Soce]

"In fact, more than a quarter of the state's 424 lawmakers are Massholes..."

WTF. They've already gotten ahead of us!

Are we going to need ever eligible freestater to be in the state legislature?

Which I guess leads to, what are the residency and other requirements?

[Ron Helwig]

Are we going to need ever eligible freestater to be in the state legislature?

Which I guess leads to, what are the residency and other requirements?

For state house it is basically two years. Last time we only had maybe 7-10 freestaters running. Next time there will be at least 100 of us possible (I'm mover #103 and I've been here over 2 years now). Not that that many will be running, or should, but a dozen freestaters in the house would do wonders.

Please keep in mind that it took the country several decades to get as bad as it is, we won't be changing everything overnight.

[Russell Kanning]

"In fact, more than a quarter of the state's 424 lawmakers are Massholes..."

WTF. They've already gotten ahead of us!

in that game .... they always will

[Russell Kanning]

interesting rankings ... each state has some interesting personalities

I recently drove back into NH and enjoyed knowing that the cops would not pull me over for not driving without a seatbelt
... and they would not ask me for my proof of car insurance

... but they would still throw me in the clinker for not having a drivers license or registration


we have less cops per capita in nh than most states I would guess

we might start having more than our ... fair ... share of fed guys like us marshals with activities like the browns not paying fed income taxes and such.

[mattbarney]

For now, I will give you the ranking of states on the liberalism index, along with each state's "liberalism score."

Terrific thread, as usual, Jason.  Wonderful fodder for NH-based activists to focus lobbying.

Geeky questions:

a) it appears that your ratings may have been from Rasch or "Item Response Theory" based measurement.  Is that the case?  Is this a simpler (e.g. Classical Test Theory) based measurement approach?

b) It sounds like you're doing exploratory factor analysis / principle components to tease out your dimensions - is that right?

c) Would you please forward the citation and/or the paper when it's ready for those of us interested in the details?

Thanks again

Matt

[JasonPSorens]

Terrific thread, as usual, Jason.  Wonderful fodder for NH-based activists to focus lobbying.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Geeky questions:

a) it appears that your ratings may have been from Rasch or "Item Response Theory" based measurement.  Is that the case?  Is this a simpler (e.g. Classical Test Theory) based measurement approach?

b) It sounds like you're doing exploratory factor analysis / principle components to tease out your dimensions - is that right?

The individual variables on which the overall rating was based were coded directly from the statutes or in some cases from statistical data. So some of the variables were binary, some ordinal, and some continuous. Then we did exploratory principal components analysis, but didn't try to model each statutory choice with additional independent variables, as I think IRT does (my familiarity with IRT is hazy). Because of the large number of variables (over 170), the eigenvalues were grossly inflated, so I used Horn's Parallel Analysis to correct for random correlation among the variables, and once I did so, found that there were 2 eigenvalues well over 1.0 (the top adjusted eigenvalue over 10), and 1 eigenvalue just above 1.0. A scree plot also showed essentially 2 factors. The 3rd factor I can't make theoretical sense of (seems to capture some similarities between Oregon and Alaska), and its Horn-adjusted eigenvalue is marginal, so I think it's probably just a fluke. The data I present here are for the unrotated factors, which actually seem to make the most theoretical sense.

c) Would you please forward the citation and/or the paper when it's ready for those of us interested in the details?

Will do!

[JonM]

... but they would still throw me in the clinker for not having a drivers license or registration

Do cops in Keene turn the other way when they see you driving toward them yet?

[mattbarney]

So some of the variables were binary, some ordinal, and some continuous. Then we did exploratory principal components analysis, but didn't try to model each statutory choice with additional independent variables, as I think IRT does (my familiarity with IRT is hazy). Because of the large number of variables (over 170), the eigenvalues were grossly inflated, so I used Horn's Parallel Analysis to correct for random correlation among the variables, and once I did so, found that there were 2 eigenvalues well over 1.0 (the top adjusted eigenvalue over 10), and 1 eigenvalue just above 1.0. A scree plot also showed essentially 2 factors. The 3rd factor I can't make theoretical sense of (seems to capture some similarities between Oregon and Alaska), and its Horn-adjusted eigenvalue is marginal, so I think it's probably just a fluke. The data I present here are for the unrotated factors, which actually seem to make the most theoretical sense.

[warning - geeky response to follow]

Jason,

It appears your task is largely exploratory, and I can see the benefit of the exploratory factor analysis to that task.  Rasch (same mathematically as 1PL IRT, but a different paradigm) has excellent techniques for dealing with mixed types of items (e.g. binary, rating scale, partial credit), but it requires you to have an apriori construct with items you hypothesize at each "inch" of the full construct of interest.  You might consider a followup study to build out the scale more effectively using this modern psychometric approach.  Some big advantages to Rasch/IRT:

a) You get interval-scale data, and if you can create an absolute zero, you get Ratio-scaled data (e.g. like physicial science)
b) Smaller, more consistent standard errors across the full range of the dimension you're measuring
c) Where applicable, you can use computer-adaptive methods to shorten questionnaires, surveys, tests, etc by 20-50%, once you know where each question falls on the liberty "ruler" of interest

on a different, but related thought -
Jason, as you're a proper academic, and I'm an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist (Chief Learning Officer/VP at a Healthcare system)....It would be fun to discuss a virtual "Free State University" that could have both You Tube-style liberty courses; and "Web-ex" style symposia, colloquia, and lectures.  Perhaps it could be degree granting.  I wonder with many FSP'ers looking to NH for a better freedom culture, if there is a growing freedom education marketplace for undergrad or graduate education for private and home schoolers.

Reactions anyone?

Matt