Why do the poorest 10% earn $14,000 annually in economically free countries versus just $1,700 in restricted economies? How did former Soviet republics like Estonia and Lithuania leap into the top 25% of economic freedom in just 30 years? And what does it mean that countries following Adam Smith's "system of natural liberty" consistently outperform heavily regulated economies?
Professor Robert Lawson from SMU's Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom settles the debate between Adam Smith and Karl Marx with data. Using the Economic Freedom Index, which measures 165 countries across 45 variables, discover which nations truly prosper—and why.
From Singapore's rise to the top (overtaking Hong Kong for the first time) to Venezuela's position at the bottom, Professor Lawson reveals how economic freedom correlates with wealth, poverty reduction, and social progress. The results counter critics who argue that free markets only benefit the rich.
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This data-driven approach moves beyond ideological debates to examine what actually works for human flourishing.
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