The Fraser Institute ranks countries based on economic freedom.
As Mike Shedlock notes, in 2010, the US fell out of the top 10.
It’s now 11th!
The Economic Freedom report is co-published by the Cato Institute, the Fraser Institute in Canada and more than 70 think tanks around the world.
The 21st edition of Economic Freedom of the World and this year’s publication ranks 159 countries and territories for 2015, the most recent year for which data are available.
Economic Freedom Components
- Size of Government
- Legal System and Property Rights
- Sound Money
- Freedom to Trade Internationally
- Regulation
Point number 3 considers inflation, money growth, and freedom to own foreign currencies. about access to sound money.
It’s important that “individuals have access to sound money: who provides it makes little difference.”
An interactive map shows a changing timeline from 1975 to today.
While “exceptional” America is anything but, according to this index, there are some countries worth paying more attention to:
- Venezuela, in hyperinflation, and ruled by a de facto dictator, is at the bottom of the list in position 159 with a score of 2.92 out of 10.
- South America and Africa are primarily basket cases.
- Hong Kong and Singapore beat the US by nearly one point.
- China is 112 with a score of 6.40 out of 10.
And finally, many people think China is on the way to world domination. I disagree, and economic freedom is a key reason.
This article appeared at ZeroHedge.com at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-28/decline-american-freedom-one-simple-chart