States / South Dakota

South Dakota

One in six people in South Dakota who took the quiz scored libertarian, about the same as the country. One in 38 voted that way. Here is what the count says about South Dakota, what the state has changed, and who is doing the work.

17.1%
of quiz takers hold libertarian positions1,543 people with a South Dakota ZIP, January to October 2024, margin ±1.9 points
2.6%
voted Libertarian2020 presidential, 11,095 of 0.4 million votes
10of 50
on the state score62.7 of 100 from five published parts

How South Dakota scores

62.7 of 100, rank 10 of 50. Five parts, each turned into a 0 to 100 mark and weighted as shown. The method page has the formulas.

Personal freedom Cato rank 21 of 50, 202359weight 25
Economic freedom Cato rank 3 of 50, 202396weight 25
Civil forfeiture law Institute for Justice grade D, 202525weight 10
Quiz takers who hold libertarian positions 17.1% of 1,543, pulled toward the national 18.9% for sample size, then ranked against the other states26weight 25
Voted Libertarian for president 2.63% in 2020, ranked against the other states99weight 15

Wins on the ledger, 0 for South Dakota, are listed below and left out of the score, because the ledger records what we have checked, not everything that happened.

Where South Dakota lands

Quiz takers in the state against quiz takers everywhere, by type. The bar is the state; the line is the country.

Libertarian17.1%
Moderate49.8%
Progressive17.9%
Conservative9.8%
Authoritarian5.3%

United States, same window. These are quiz takers, not a sample of residents. The current quiz version cannot be shown by state until ZIP capture, which stopped in January 2026, is restored.

How free is South Dakota

Eight measures, each from its publisher, each with the year it was measured.

Overall freedom rank3 of 50Cato, 2023
Economic freedom rank3Cato, 2023
Personal freedom rank21Cato, 2023
Education freedom ranknot ranked
Civil forfeiture gradeDInstitute for Justice, 2025
Right to workYesNRTW, 2024
Concealed carryConstitutionalUSCCA, 2025
CannabisMedicalNCSL, 2025

What South Dakota changed

Every entry is a real change in what the government forbids or requires, one an ordinary person could feel the next day, with sources. Partial wins say so.

Nothing on the ledger for South Dakota yet. That is a gap in monitoring as much as in outcomes. Report a win.

Who is doing the work in South Dakota

Advocates for Self-Government, which publishes this site, works in every state. Other national groups take cases and run programs everywhere. Say who you are and what you care about to sort the whole directory.

Cato InstitutePublic policy research across every issue on this site, with a sponsors program and internships.National
Reason FoundationPolicy research on transportation, pensions, drug policy, criminal justice and education, and publisher of Reason magazine.National
Institute for JusticePublic-interest law firm that litigates occupational licensing, civil forfeiture, eminent domain, school choice and free speech cases at no cost to the client.National
Who are you, and what do you care about?Find your people in South Dakota

Count South Dakota

The state's count grows one booth and one classroom at a time. Three ways to add to it.