ManusJustus said:
I wonder what they mean by economic freedom. Denmark's government provides socialized education and healthcare, and socialist parties make up a large proportion of Denark's government, yet it is tied with the United States in the category. The study might look at economic freedom and social freedom in the same light. EDIT: A note from the site: Index of 'economic freedom', according to the American organisation 'The Heritage Foundation'. It is worth noting that such indices are based on highly culturally contingent factors. This data makes a number of assumptions about 'freedom' and the role of the government that are not accepted by much of the world's population. |
Economic freedom is the fundamental right of every human 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. In economically free societies, governments allow labor, capital and goods to move freely, and refrain from coercion or constraint of liberty beyond the extent necessary to protect and maintain liberty itself.
Methodology is here.
http://www.heritage.org/Index/PDF/Index09_Methodology.pdf
High taxrates are a negative for one.
