Index of Economic Freedom 2012
With global economic recovery far from secure, many economies are at a critical juncture, and governments face decisive policy choices. Political and economic developments since the second half of 2010 have inspired a fundamental rethinking of the social contract between citizens and governments in
many parts of the world. Debt, recession, and financial instability have slowed progress in countries everywhere, and economic crises have become political crises, particularly in countries where governments play a large role in directing economic activity.
The 2012 Index of Economic Freedom documents a global economy that is engaged in this evolving battle between the forces of government and free markets. Today’s troubles have been neither accidental nor inevitable. The problems we face are the outcomes of politically driven and economically self-defeating policy decisions that have turned an economic slowdown into an accelerating decline.