Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

What exactly is goverment's role in reducing poverty among its citizens?  According to recently published statistics, it may just need to get out of the way more. The Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal’s 2015 Index of Economic Freedom is showing once again that countries which enjoy high levels of economic freedom outperform others in alleviating poverty. Data consistently shows that governments which suppress growth actually hinder the mobility of the oppressed. Countries which are quick to bemoan the lack of social mobility amongst their populations would do well to consider the alternative outlined by data such as this. A quote from this year's index sums up the matter best: “(Freedom) preserves the opportunity for today’s disadvantaged to become tomorrow’s privileged and, in the process enables almost everyone, from top to bottom, to enjoy a fuller and richer life.”