Economic Freedom

2013 Index of Economic Freedom

Since 1995 The Heritage Foundation, in partnership with The Wall Street Journal has tracked the march of economic freedom around the world with the influential Index of Economic Freedom. Read More.

Restoring the U.S. to a Free Economy

In 2010, for the first time, the United States fell from the ranks of the economically “free” as measured by the Index of Economic Freedom, falling below the cutoff that earns countries the right to call themselves “free.” Read More.

Economic freedom is the fundamental right of every person 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.

Introduction to the Research

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Experts on Economic Freedom

Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D.
Senior Research Fellow in Anglo-American Relations
Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
Founder, Chairman of the Asian Studies Center, and Chung Ju-yung Fellow
Kim R. Holmes, Ph.D.
Distinguished Fellow
Anthony B. Kim
Senior Policy Analyst, Economic Freedom
Ambassador Terry Miller
Director, Center for Data Analysis and the Center for Trade and Economics and Mark A. Kolokotrones Fellow in Economic Freedom
James M. Roberts
Research Fellow For Economic Freedom and Growth

Our Work

Legal Memorandum posted February 21, 2001 by Todd F. Gaziano The Use and Abuse of Executive Orders and Other Presidential Directives
Makers of American Political Thought Series posted September 24, 2012 by Jean M. Yarbrough Theodore Roosevelt: Progressive Crusader
Lecture posted June 7, 2011 by Mark David Hall, Ph.D. Did America Have a Christian Founding?
Backgrounder posted May 15, 1997 by Patrick F. Fagan, Ph.D. The Child Abuse Crisis: The Disintegration of Marriage, Family, and the American Community
Backgrounder posted August 25, 2000 by Denise H. Froning The Benefits of Free Trade: A Guide For Policymakers
Backgrounder posted March 15, 2005 by Daniel J. Mitchell, Ph.D. The Impact of Government Spending on Economic Growth
Backgrounder posted March 11, 2013 by Ryan T. Anderson, Ph.D. Marriage: What It Is, Why It Matters, and the Consequences of Redefining It
First Principles Series Report posted September 24, 2013 by Christopher Burkett Remaking the World: Progressivism and American Foreign Policy
Backgrounder posted January 25, 1996 by Patrick F. Fagan, Ph.D. Why Religion Matters: The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability
Issue Brief posted January 14, 2014 by Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D. After U.S. Signature, Dangers of U.N. Arms Trade Treaty Begin to Surface

Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2014 Obama's Struggling to Handle Foreign Policy Crises. Here Are 6 Changes We Can Make.
Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2014 The Only Republican Governor Who Lost in 2014 Was the One Who Raised Gas Taxes
Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2014 Why Asia's Economic Miracle May Be Ending
Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2014 Energy Group Warns US-China Climate Deal Will Hurt You in Long Run
Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2014 How the GI Bill Launched a Social Revolution
Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2014 Ohio’s Unfunded Pension Liability More than $25K per Resident, $10K Above National Average
Posted on Friday, November 14, 2014 Under Pressure From Congress, Agencies Agree to Investigate Operation Choke Point
Posted on Friday, November 14, 2014 Enjoy Verizon’s Free Downloads All Day. They Could Soon be Illegal.
Posted on Friday, November 14, 2014 Cartoon: Obamacare Is Heading Back to the Supreme Court
Posted on Friday, November 14, 2014 Obama’s Plan for a Backdoor Internet Tax

Nov 17

Event on Monday, November 17, 2014 The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels
For decades, environmentalists have told us that using traditional fuels is a self-destructive addiction that will destroy our planet. Yet at the same time, — Read more

Attend in Person Watch Online
Nov 17

Event on Monday, November 17, 2014 The Case for a National Sales Tax
The FairTax would replace the income tax and payroll taxes with a national sales tax and provide a rebate ensuring that no American pays tax — Read more

Attend in Person Watch Online
Nov 18

Event on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 Liberalization and Integration: Southeast Asia’s Economic Prospects
Co-hosted by Since 2000, Southeast Asia has had some of the fastest growing economies in the world. Can countries like Indonesia, The Philippines, Thailand, and — Read more

Attend in Person Watch Online
Nov 18

Event on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 The Barry Goldwater 1964 Campaign 50th Anniversary Forum
In Your Heart You Know He’s RightFifty years ago as the Republican Party’s Presidential nominee, Senator Barry Goldwater lost the 1964 election in a landslide. — Read more

Attend in Person Watch Online
Nov 19

Event on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 The Iran Nuclear Talks: Problems and Prospects
As the nuclear talks with Iran approach a November 24 deadline, what are the prospectsfor an agreement that would prevent an Iranian nuclear breakout or — Read more

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Nov 19

Event on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 Common Core: How We Got Here and Where We Are Headed
Since March of this year, four states have withdrawn from Common Core. More than a dozen states have either exited from or downgraded their — Read more

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Nov 20

Event on Thursday, November 20, 2014 Nominal Gross Domestic Product Targeting as a Policy Rule
~ Monetary Policy Lecture Series ~Many economists believe that rules-based monetary policy provides better macroeconomic outcomes than a purely discretionary framework delivers. Exactly which — Read more

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Nov 20

Event on Thursday, November 20, 2014 What Next for U.S. Trade Policy?
Midterm election results have unleashed a new wave of speculation about the future of U.S. trade policy. What can we learn from the U.S.-Korea — Read more

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Dec 02

Event on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 Whistleblowers, Leaks, and the Media: The First Amendment and National Security
Whistleblowers, Leaks, and the Media is a broad-based introduction to the legal and policy issues regarding the media’s coverage of national security. A joint — Read more

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Dec 04

Event on Thursday, December 04, 2014 A Patriot’s History of the United States: From Columbus’s Great Discovery to America’s Age of Entitlement - 10th Anniversary Edition
Many history professors have allowed their biases to distort the way America’s past is taught, searching for instances of racism, sexism, and bigotry in our — Read more

Attend in Person Watch Online

Posted on 11/15/2014 3:01:38 AM Obama's Struggling to Handle Foreign Policy Crises. Here Are 6 Changes We Can Make.
Posted on 11/15/2014 3:01:24 AM The Only Republican Governor Who Lost in 2014 Was the One Who Raised Gas Taxes
Posted on 11/15/2014 3:01:17 AM Why Asia's Economic Miracle May Be Ending
Posted on 11/15/2014 3:01:14 AM Energy Group Warns US-China Climate Deal Will Hurt You in Long Run
Posted on 11/15/2014 3:01:13 AM How the GI Bill Launched a Social Revolution
Posted on 11/15/2014 3:01:03 AM Ohio’s Unfunded Pension Liability More than $25K per Resident, $10K Above National Average
Posted on 11/14/2014 6:31:27 PM Under Pressure From Congress, Agencies Agree to Investigate Operation Choke Point
Posted on 11/14/2014 5:49:46 PM Enjoy Verizon’s Free Downloads All Day. They Could Soon be Illegal.
Posted on 11/14/2014 5:03:00 PM Cartoon: Obamacare Is Heading Back to the Supreme Court
Posted on 11/14/2014 4:52:27 PM Obama’s Plan for a Backdoor Internet Tax

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Our mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. Read More

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