Economic freedom is the fundamental right of every person to control his or her own labor and property. In an economically free society, individuals are free to work, produce, consume, and invest in any way they please, with that freedom both protected by the state and unconstrained by the state.
Issues 2012 provides candidates for elected office the ability to quickly identify the key issues of the day and present clear policy recommendations, supported by facts, for addressing them. Read More.
For over a decade, The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation have tracked the march of economic freedom around the world with the influential Index of Economic Freedom. Read More.
In 2010, for the first time ever, the United States has fallen from the ranks of the economically “free” as measured by the Index of Economic Freedom, published annually by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal, falling below the cutoff that earns countries the right to call themselves “free.” Read More.
President Obama is hosting the 38th annual G8 summit May 18–19 at Camp David. It is expected to be “a short summit of less than 24 hours, yielding only a five-page communiqué.”[1] The deplorable reality is that in recent years, the credibility and relevance of the G8 summit…
In this week's Heritage in Focus podcast, Ted Bromund discusses the recent French elections and the future of the economy and freedom in Europe. David Weinberger hosts. To get regular updates on Heritage in Focus podcasts, visit our RSS feed or subscribe on iTunes. To listen…
On April 16, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, president of Dartmouth College, was elected as the next president of the World Bank. Kim, a physician with a background in public health, prevailed after an unusual race contested by two highly regarded economists from Nigeria and Colombia. Kim’s background raises plenty of…
Executive Summary In 2010, President Benigno S. (“Noynoy”) Aquino III made a pledge to voters: If elected, he would reduce long-standing and endemic corruption in the Philippines. While such reform is indeed underway, as the 2012 Index…
It’s a well-kept secret, but Latin America boasts one of the world’s 10 freest economies. Chile ranks seventh globally — ahead of the 10th place United States, in fact — according to the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom. That’s cause for celebration in Santiago. Studies show…
The Obama Administration has attached little importance to the transatlantic alliance, and Europe has barely figured in its foreign policy. The Administration’s highly touted “pivot to Asia” is simply a belated admission that it has less interest in Europe than any post–1945 U.S. Administration. While Europe is the home of…
Mohammed Bouazizi had had enough. The police had humiliated him. They had confiscated his fruit and vegetable cart. He had nothing left —all because he’d refused to give them a bribe.On Dec. 17, 2010, the 26-year-old food vendor set himself on fire. Many other young Tunisians identified with…
Abstract: Promoting economic freedom at home and abroad is essential to revitalizing the U.S. economy. In 2010, for the first time ever, the United States fell from the ranks of the economically free in the Index of Economic Freedom, and economic freedom in the…
Why are some countries mired in poverty while others are prosperous? Are natural resources, geography or the consequences of history responsible for…
Sir Ralph Norman Angell had all the answers. In 1909, he published "Europe's Optical Illusion," a pamphlet arguing that the global integration of economies through trade and industrialization had made total war obsolete. The outbreak of World War I dented the theory somewhat. But such was…
International trade is the framework upon which American prosperity rests. Free trade policies have created a level of competition in today's open market that engenders continual innovation and leads to better products, better-paying jobs, new markets, and increased savings…
Free trade is again under attack, despite having been, for over a century, the basis of America's wealth. Some groups in the United States blame free trade for the loss of manufacturing jobs, while others…
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which the United States implemented with Canada and Mexico in 1994, has benefited Americans substantially, according to U.S. government data. It has increased exports, expanded U.S. agriculture, improved environmental standards…
Introduction Many American policy makers over the past decade have replaced calls for more free trade with demands for "fair trade." The United States, they say, should keep its markets opened to imports, but must also act aggressively against "unfair" trade practices by foreign businesses and governments. One of the pillars of this "fair trade" approach…
Abstract: India has almost unmatched economic potential, but neither its prosperity nor its globalization are assured. India will realize one of four basic scenarios depending chiefly on the extent to which it reforms property rights and improves primary and secondary education. The best scenario is for India to move…
The interagency Trade Promotion Coordination Committee (TPCC) is required by the Export Enhancement Act of 1992 "to develop a government-wide strategic plan for carrying out Federal export promotion and export financing programs" and to submit to Congress annual reports describing the plan and how TPCC member agencies will implement the strategy.[1] The…
(Archived document, may contain errors) 741 December 8,1989 COMMUNISM, CAPI"SM, AND E CONOMIC DEYEXDPMENE IMPLlCAmONS FOR US, EXONOMIC ASSISTANCE INTRODUCTION Dramatic changes unthinkable just a few years ago are shaking socialist nations. Having learned hard lessons about the inefficiency of their economic systems, the peoples of communis t -run nations are now. pressinglfor greater…
I appreciate this opportunity to speak to you today about one of the most important opportunities that America has faced in several decades. The North American Free Trade Agreement, which adds Mexico to the current free trade area with Canada, will create the largest free trade zone in the world, with a population of…
Last week, the finance ministers of the G8 countries (United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, and Russia) announced an agreement for broad-based debt relief. This initiative has long been championed by a group of activists-rock star Bono and economist Jeffrey Sachs being the best-known of the group-who argue that heavily indebted poor…
Abstract: South Africa is one of the world’s largest exporters of precious metals used in a multitude of industrial and commercial applications. Continued access to this vast mineral wealth is vital for the economic security of the West.…
Protesters took to the streets throughout India in the summer of 2011, demanding the establishment of a powerful new anti-corruption watchdog agency. In the aftermath of numerous high-profile corruption cases, the demonstrators’ wrath and intensity are understandable. Their demands, however, are misdirected. Adding yet another agency to…
Ukraine is at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Its global economic integration among free, democratic, and prosperous nations should be an important American foreign policy priority. A rebirth of economic freedom in Ukraine could have a positive impact not only on Eastern Europe but also in Russia and…
Abstract: Countries that receive U.S. foreign aid routinely oppose U.S. diplomatic initiatives and vote against the U.S. in the United Nations. While linking humanitarian and security aid to support of U.S. policy priorities would undermine the purposes and effect of that aid, the effectiveness…
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum, more formally known as U.S.-Sub-Saharan African Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, commemorates its 10-year milestone in Zambia on June 9–10. The forum is at its critical juncture as Africa’s place in the world has been rapidly changing. Despite some setbacks caused by…
Facebook's much-vaunted initial public offering is on the horizon and promises to shower a few lucky individuals with...…
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This week, the U.N. will celebrate International Women’s Day during its annual meeting of the Commission on the Status...…
The World Bank’s latest report sounds a warning on China’s future economic growth, reiterating critical...…
Echoing the findings of The Heritage Foundation’s 2012 Index of Economic Freedom, the latest edition of The Economist...…
In his recent commentary in the Financial Times, Kenneth Rogoff, a professor of economics at Harvard, made a strong case...…
Be sure to listen to our Heritage Libertad Radio Show. Click here to listen in Spanish. Click here to listen in...…
If the 2012 edition of Heritage’s Index of Economic Freedom has bad news for the United States, the news for Europe is...…
Barron’s published its year-end roundtable discussion with 10 money managers and financial market experts on Saturday....…
Heritage and the Wall Street Journal released the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom on Thursday, ranking 179 countries on...…
Senior Research Fellow in Anglo-American Relations
President
Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, and Director, The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies
Senior Policy Analyst, Economic Freedom
Director, Center for International Trade and Economics and the Mark A. Kolokotrones Fellow in Economic Freedom
Research Fellow For Economic Freedom and Growth
Senior Research Fellow