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.
If you were to rank the countries of the world in terms of economic freedom, where would the United States fall? First, or at least in the top three? The top five, surely. Because there is, in fact, a resource that ranks every country by this measure… Read more
In this week's Heritage in Focus podcast, Dr. Kim Holmes discusses the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom, which he co-authored. David Weinberger hosts. To get regular updates on Heritage in Focus podcasts, visit our RSS feed or subscribe on iTunes. To listen to more Heritage Foundation… Read more
Ed Feulner discusses the Index of Economic Freedom on CNBC Asia. … Read more
From The Heritage Foundation, I'm Ernest Istook. … Read more
Garry Kasparov, a leader of the Russia opposition, spoke at Heritage about why Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is immune to the Obama administration's reset strategy. In an interview at Heritage before his speech, Kasparov said Obama's approach was misguided. Read more… Read more
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.… Read more
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… Read more
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… Read more
Produced by the Center for Data Analysis - Delivered March 14, 2011 Abstract: Increasingly, policymakers are focused on entrepreneurial innovation as a key to unlocking… Read more
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… Read more
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… Read more
El comercio internacional es el marco dentro del cual se encuadra la prosperidad de Norteamérica. Las políticas de libre comercio han creado un nivel de competencia dentro del mercado abierto actual que origina una constante innovación y da lugar a productos de calidad superior, empleos mejor remunerados, nuevos mercados y mayor volumen de… Read more
Abstract: Governments and large agribusinesses are increasingly using the environmentalist movement and its policy arm of green nongovernmental organizations to justify imposing protectionist non-tariff barriers on developing countries. Wrong-headed environmental policies and “green” protectionism are contributing to a resurgence of malaria in some countries… Read more
Introduction With the end of the Cold War and collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been a growing chorus of cries for the United States to lift the economic embargo on Cuba. This chorus has included even such responsible anti-communist voices as those of former President… Read more
The subject of ethics has increasingly been present in economic analysis,1 although not without considerable debate. Some economists believe that the importance of economics is purely technical. Others believe that moral considerations in economic analysis provide a more accurate picture of possible outcomes since it takes into consideration the human aspect of… Read more
Argentina’s ranking in The Wall Street Journal/Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom—now 135th out of the 179 countries ranked in the Index—has declined steadily in the seven years since President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and… Read more
Abstract: In ongoing campaigns against the expansion of the palm oil industry in developing countries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and environmental groups claim that palm oil production destroys tropical rainforests and threatens wildlife. In truth, a major motivation for… Read more
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… Read more
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… Read more
Abstract: The United States and Peru have a strong and positive relationship that is helping to strengthen Peru’s democratic institutions and speed its integration into the globalized economy. This April, Peruvian voters will choose a new president, who will hopefully continue efforts to curb corruption, strengthen property rights, and effectively… Read more
Abstract: Although a free and democratic state after the reforms of 1989, Hungary has never had a legitimate written constitution that unambiguously represents the consent of the governed. In September 2010, the Fidesz–KDNP government, led by Prime Minister… Read more
Abstract: In Argentina, the rule of law and free-market principles have been weakened dramatically over the past decade. Under the leadership of Nestor and Cristina Kirchner, economic freedom in Argentina has been in a virtual freefall, corruption has… Read more
As millions march in the streets of Cairo, it is far too soon to tell whether the upheaval will deliver the economic and political freedoms that the people demand. History is littered with radical transformations that have taken societies in radically different directions. The French Revolution,… Read more
In his recent commentary in the Financial Times, Kenneth Rogoff, a professor of economics at Harvard, made a strong case...… Read more
Be sure to listen to our Heritage Libertad Radio Show. Click here to listen in Spanish. Click here to listen in...… Read more
If the 2012 edition of Heritage’s Index of Economic Freedom has bad news for the United States, the news for Europe is...… Read more
Barron’s published its year-end roundtable discussion with 10 money managers and financial market experts on Saturday....… Read more
Heritage and the Wall Street Journal released the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom on Thursday, ranking 179 countries on...… Read more
Yesterday, Heritage’s 2012 Index of Economic Freedom was released, and Africa features prominently. With an average...… Read more
So you think you're free? Thanks to big government spending and exploding debt, the United States -- and indeed the...… Read more
In this week's Heritage in Focus, Heritage's Kim Holmes, co-author of the annual Index of Economic Freedom, discusses...… Read more
Real life can never give social scientists the kind of laboratory-quality tests that natural scientists can create, but...… Read more
Four of the world’s five most charitable nations also rank among the ten most economically free, a comparison of a pair...… Read more
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
Research Fellow