Canada continues to lead the United States in economic freedom while Hong Kong again tops global rankings

The index published in Economic Freedom of the World 2013 measures the degree to which the policies and institutions of countries are supportive of economic freedom. The cornerstones of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to compete, and security of privately owned property. Forty-two variables are used to construct a summary index and to measure the degree of economic freedom in five broad areas: (1) size of government; (2) legal system and property rights; (3) sound money; (4) freedom to trade internationally; and (5) regulation.

This paper reviews the literature on teacher education, certification, and hiring, showing that there are great differences in the effectiveness of teachers in public schools. Better teachers are not necessarily those with more education and more experience, the two traditional variables used when determining salaries.

This study examines the effects of worker choice laws in the US—commonly referred to as “right to work” (RTW) policies—and applies the findings to British Columbia and to Ontario. RTW laws have been enacted by 24 US states; these laws prohibit collective bargaining agreements between employers and unions from forcing workers represented by a union to pay dues for its representation.