Issues

Inclusive Growth Rule of Law Women

Regions

China East Asia Taiwan

Languages

English Hokkien Mandarin Chinese
About Related Content

All Content

Issue Brief

Aug 20, 2025

Why the rule of law is the key to prosperity: Lessons from thirty years of data 

By Annie (Yu-Lin) Lee, Joseph Lemoine

Thirty years of global data point to one conclusion: the rule of law is the most important driver of prosperity. Strong legal systems foster trust, investment, and stability. Where laws are predictable and applied equally, societies thrive; where they weaken, reforms falter and prosperity stalls.

Africa Freedom and Prosperity

Report

Jun 23, 2025

2025 Freedom and Prosperity Indexes: How political freedom drives growth

By Ignacio Campomanes, Nina Dannaoui-Johnson, Annie (Yu-Lin) Lee, Joseph Lemoine

As the Freedom and Prosperity Indexes show political freedom declining worldwide for the twelfth straight year, new data analysis shows its importance for lasting prosperity: Though authoritarians promise economic rewards, democratizing countries gain an 8.8 percent GDP per capita boost over twenty years than their autocratic peers. With democracy on the ropes, what else can the Indexes tell us?

China Civil Society

Report

Mar 10, 2025

How greater freedom empowers entrepreneurs and expands access to credit

By Jérémie Bertrand, Nina Dannaoui-Johnson, Annie (Yu-Lin) Lee, Caroline Perrin

Access to credit is vital for SMEs, yet barriers like high collateral and discriminatory lending hinder growth, especially for women-led firms. Data shows freer economies reduce borrower discouragement. Legal protections, economic deregulation, and gender-sensitive policies improve access. Case studies from New Zealand, Singapore, and Kenya highlight how strategic reforms bridge credit gaps and drive growth.

Corruption Freedom and Prosperity
Load More

Annie (Yu-Lin) Lee is a program assistant at the Atlantic Council’s Freedom and Prosperity Center, where she supports the center’s programming, data collection, and research.

Lee is a 2023 graduate of National Chengchi University in Taiwan, with a BA in diplomacy. A dual US-Taiwanese citizen raised in Taipei, Lee is fluent in both Mandarin Chinese and English. Prior to joining the Freedom and Prosperity Center, she worked as a research assistant at Academia Sinica (Taiwan’s national research institute) on US policy towards Taiwan and China. Her work has been featured by the US-China Perception Monitor, the American Political Science Association, the Carter Center, and the New Atlanticist. As an undergraduate, Lee also completed a semester-long study abroad program at Sciences Po Lille in France.