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

Sep 20, 2023

Ukraine’s wartime resilience portrayed on stage in Washington

By Jacob Heilbrunn

Ukraine's remarkably resilient response to Russia's full-scale invasion has captured the world's imagination and has now inspired a quirky stage adaptation by Kyiv-born playwright Sasha Denisova, writes Jacob Heilbrunn.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Sep 19, 2023

What would it take to hold elections in Ukraine?

By Peter Erben, Gio Kobakhidze

Calls for elections in Ukraine are premature and do not take into consideration the extremely unfavorable wartime conditions that make it virtually impossible to stage a free, fair, and safe vote, write Peter Erben and Gio Kobakhidze.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

Issue Brief

Sep 19, 2023

Less freedom, weaker states, more conflict: can that cycle be broken?

By Patrick W. Quirk and Owen L. Myers

Why and how advancing freedom (political, economic, and judicial components) is the surest way to advance sustainable stability and associated prosperity.

Democratic Transitions Freedom and Prosperity

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

Sep 18, 2023

The causal relationship between economic freedom and prosperity

By Jamie Bologna Pavlik, Benjamin Powell, and Andrew Young

Economic freedom not only correlates with prosperity but is an important cause of prosperity. Meaningful increases in economic freedom have been shown to lead to large increases in GDP per capita, supporting Adam Smith's assertion that increased economic freedom is an essential ingredient for greater prosperity worldwide.

Economy & Business Freedom and Prosperity

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

Sep 18, 2023

Freedom, prosperity, and human development in Egypt: Why does freedom matter?

By Mohamed M. Farid

Egypt's development over the last 15 years has been limited by heavy-handed government intervention and poorly thought-out public spending. To go forward, Egypt must reduce the role of the state in the economy, implement free-market reforms, and focus public investments on human capital.

Economy & Business Freedom and Prosperity

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

Sep 18, 2023

Violence against journalists: A tool to restrict press freedom in Mexico

By Sergio M. Alcocer and Jeziret S. González

Violence against human rights defenders and journalists is a long-term struggle for Mexico and happens every day with almost total impunity. Without freedom of the press, prosperity cannot be fully achieved.

Freedom and Prosperity Human Rights

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

Sep 18, 2023

The role of elites in driving towards long-term prosperity: The case of Kenya in Sub-Saharan Africa

By Luis Ravina Bohórquez

Investigating the role of elites in ensuring a country's prosperity and development. Strong institutions and government policies are crucial to this process as they have the duty to empower society with the necessary tools to question nepotism and corruption.

Freedom and Prosperity Political Reform

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

Sep 18, 2023

Mexico “Mostly Free”? Mexico “Mostly Prosperous”?: Uncovering shades of gray in the Freedom and Prosperity Indexes

By Vanessa Rubio-Marquez

Freedom and prosperity are fragile ideals that depend on many factors that must be protected and consistently adjusted. Particular attention must be paid to countries where warning signs of decline are present.

Democratic Transitions Freedom and Prosperity

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

Sep 18, 2023

Informality as an anti-measure of prosperity

By Elakiya Ananthakrishnan

Inefficient public institutions and weak rule of law lead citizens to conduct business outside of regulated markets. The resulting informality impact countries’ overall prosperity.

Freedom and Prosperity Political Reform

The Freedom and Prosperity Equation

Sep 18, 2023

Dimensions of freedom and economic performance

By Ignacio Campomanes

Democracy can be strengthened significantly if we can rigorously show that free societies are also superior to autocracies in producing higher overall prosperity. Defining the attributes of liberal democracies is essential to understand the relationship between freedom and prosperity.

Freedom and Prosperity Macroeconomics
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Experts

Fellow

Peter Mandaville

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Civil Society Freedom and Prosperity

Staff

James Mazzarella

Senior Director, Freedom and Prosperity Center

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Economy & Business Freedom and Prosperity

Fellow

Neil Parekh

Senior Advisor

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Economy & Business Freedom and Prosperity

Fellow

Fabio Petito

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Freedom and Prosperity Human Rights

Fellow

Patrick Quirk

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center GeoStrategy Initiative

Civil Society Conflict

Fellow

Roya Rahmani

Senior Advisor

South Asia Center

Afghanistan Dari
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