Freedom and Prosperity

Freedom and Prosperity

Do countries need freedom to achieve prosperity? Do democracies or autocracies have the better answers for the aspirations of their people? With the goal of increasing the prosperity of the poor and marginalized, the Atlantic Council is seeking to answer these defining questions and explore the relationship between freedom and prosperity in developing and developed nations.

The Freedom and Prosperity Center aims to increase the prosperity of the poor and marginalized in developing countries and to explore the nature of the relationship between freedom and prosperity in both developing and developed nations.

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Content

UkraineAlert

Aug 25, 2026

Russia’s war will not end until Putin accepts Ukrainian independence

By Peter Dickinson

Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin is pursuing longstanding Russian imperial objectives in Ukraine and will not stop until he is forced to accept the irreversible reality of an independent Ukrainian state, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Aug 25, 2026

A cultural renaissance is reshaping national identity in wartime Ukraine

By Davis Richardson

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is fueling a defiant cultural outpouring that is redefining and strengthening Ukrainian national identity in ways that challenge centuries of Kremlin imperialism, writes Davis Richardson.

Civil Society Conflict

Report

Aug 24, 2026

An economic shock is coming. Boosting women’s economic opportunity may be the key to overcoming it.

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

With over a billion young people set to enter the global workforce in the next decade, policymakers must prioritize education and jobs for young women to advance prosperity.

Africa Entrepreneurship

UkraineAlert

Aug 18, 2026

Odesa under attack: Russia is cutting Ukraine off from the Black Sea

By Michael Bociurkiw

Russia's current bombing strategy is not simply to punish Odesa. Moscow aims to make Ukraine's largest Black Sea port city functionally landlocked, writes Michael Bociurkiw.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Jul 30, 2026

Ukraine’s reconstruction: Advancing from solidarity to shared strategic interests

By Olga Usenko

The future success of Ukraine's reconstruction will increasingly depend on Kyiv’s ability to promote participation in the country’s recovery not only as a moral imperative, but also as a shared economic and security interest, writes Olga Usenko.

Conflict Economy & Business

Issue Brief

Jul 29, 2026

Reversing Mexico’s economic and democratic decline

By Vanessa Rubio-Márquez

Now classified as a "low freedom" country in the Freedom and Prosperity Indexes, Mexico must reverse its institutional erosion to advance long-term prosperity. The lens of the Freedom and Prosperity Indexes offers an opportunity to overcome polarization and chart a path forward with fact-based analysis.

Economy & Business Freedom and Prosperity

UkraineAlert

Jul 28, 2026

Wartime Ukraine’s people power protests are Putin’s worst nightmare

By Peter Dickinson

Ukrainians have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The protests are a reminder of the vibrant democratic culture that provoked Putin's invasion, writes Peter Dickinson.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jul 16, 2026

Ukraine’s national recovery must go far beyond rebuilding what was lost

By Vitalii Kim

As international efforts to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine continue, it is also vital to look beyond the battlefield and address the issue of Ukraine’s recovery in order to create the conditions for a genuine national renewal, writes Vitalii Kim.

Conflict Critical Infrastructure Policy

Report

Jul 15, 2026

2026 Freedom and Prosperity Indexes: The legal foundations that enable prosperity are rapidly eroding

By Ignacio Campomanes, Nina Dannaoui-Johnson, Annie (Yu-Lin) Lee, James Mazzarella

Adherence to the rule of law has declined sharply since 2020. Drawing on thirty years of data across 171 countries, the 2026 Freedom and Prosperity Indexes show why that matters: without strong legal foundations, economic reforms stall, democracies erode, and prosperity stays out of reach for millions.

Freedom and Prosperity Rule of Law

Report

Jul 6, 2026

Supporting freedom, combating anti-US regimes: A democracy assistance agenda for 2026-2028

By Patrick Quirk

This report is the culminating publication of the Freedom and Prosperity Center's "The future of democracy assistance" series, which analyzes the many complex challenges to democracy around the world and highlights actionable policies that promote democratic governance.

Freedom and Prosperity Political Reform
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Experts

Fellow

Roya Rahmani

Senior Advisor

South Asia Center

Afghanistan Dari

Fellow

Kimberly A. Reed

Distinguished Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Economy & Business Freedom and Prosperity

Executive Leadership Intensive participant

Timothy Robinson

Principal Economist, Nathan Associates

Millennium Leadership Program

Economy & Business Freedom and Prosperity

Expert bio

Imran Shauket

Senior Advisor

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Bangladesh Economy & Business

Staff

Moussa Traoré

Director, Entrepreneurship Policy Initiative

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Africa Economy & Business