Economic Freedom

Economic Freedom: What Is It? How Is It Measured? And How Does It Affect Our Lives?

— Sep 19, 2024

Economic Freedom: What Is It? How Is It Measured? And How Does It Affect Our Lives? finds that higher levels of economic freedom lead to much higher incomes and much better health.

Recent Economic Freedom Commentaries and Blog Posts

U.S. election should focus or what works and what doesn’t work

Matthew D. Mitchell

Appeared in the DC Journal, November 4, 2024

When people are permitted more economic freedom, they enjoy higher and faster-growing incomes.

Economic freedom fell for three straight years

Matthew D. Mitchell

Governments financed this new spending by printing money and inflation spiked to levels not seen in decades.

Nighttime light intensity exposes failure of autocratic regimes

Vincent Geloso

Nighttime light is artificial so its level should depict—all else being equal—levels of development.

Bad government policy made Venezuela’s downfall inevitable

Matthew D. Mitchell

Appeared in Inside Sources, August 6, 2024

According to the United Nations, 90 per cent of Venezuelan households are impoverished.

New federal legislation should remind Canadians of Orwell’s 1984

Jake Fuss, Alex Whalen

The government wants to make speech crimes punishable by house arrest, jail time or electronic monitoring.

Canadians right to worry about ‘big government’ agenda

Matthew D. Mitchell, Jake Fuss

When governments limit economic freedom, citizens find it harder to buy and sell what they want.

Industrial Policy in 2024—another term for socialism?

Matthew D. Mitchell, Steven Globerman

Appeared in Inside Sources, June 12, 2024

In a free market, private individuals own the means of production but must take their cues from consumers.

Ottawa’s stifling policies will test optimism of Canadian CEOs

Niels Veldhuis

The success of any economy hinges on its institutions including its laws and regulations.

Oakville teens should learn about communism before promoting it

Matthew D. Mitchell, Steven Globerman

Appeared in the Toronto Sun, May 28, 2024

Seventeen per cent of Canada’s 18- to 34-year-olds believe communism is the ideal economic system.

Central planning from the inside—an interview with a Soviet-era economist

Matthew D. Mitchell

When more resources are controlled by politicians and the bureaucracy, there's more favouritism and discrimination.

Economic Freedom Research Experts

Alan Dowd

Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
Rosemarie Fike

Instructor of Economics, Texas Christian University
Vincent Geloso

Assistant Professor of Economics, George Mason University
Joshua C. Hall

Chair of the Department of Economics, West Virginia University
Robert A. Lawson

Clinical Professor in Economics and Director, Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom, Southern Methodist University
Fred McMahon

Resident Fellow, Dr. Michael A. Walker Chair in Economic Freedom
Matthew D. Mitchell

Senior Fellow in the Centre for Economic Freedom, Fraser Institute
Liya Palagashvili

Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
Tanja Porčnik

Resident Scholar (2019-20), The Fraser Institute
Kathleen Sheehan

Assistant Professor of Economics, Creighton University
Russell S. Sobel

Professor of Economics & Entrepreneurship, Baker School of Business at The Citadel
Dean Stansel

Research Associate Professor, Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University
Michael Walker

Fraser Institute Founder and Honorary Director

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Economic Freedom

Economic Freedom: What Is It? How Is It Measured? And How Does It Affect Our Lives?

Economic Freedom Research Experts