Issue 74 | Winter 2025

Welcome back to Fraser Insight, the Fraser Institute’s U.S. newsletter. This wintertime issue of Insight showcases a number of outputs focused on our team’s research into economic freedom.

Leading off, the In Print section, as always, features a mix of op-eds and blogs. This issue includes essays on the miracle of economic growth, the deteriorating state of economic freedom globally, the possible impact of Trump administration tariff policies, and the need for freedom-oriented energy policy.

The In Focus section highlights deep-dive studies and reports, including the 20th-anniversary edition of our Economic Freedom of North America index (New Hampshire takes the top spot yet again, followed by South Dakota and Florida); the Economic Freedom of the World index (Hong Kong holds the top spot, followed by Singapore in 2nd, Switzerland, 3rd, New Zealand, 4th, and the United States, 5th); and the Human Freedom Index (which reveals that almost 90 percent of people in the countries measured by the index have experienced declining freedom in recent years).

Finally, our In Context section offers information for the educators among our readership: a teach-the-teacher program focused on economics.

We encourage you to share Insight with friends and colleagues by inviting them to sign up for Insight here [[link removed]]. Visit our website [[link removed]], which serves as a storehouse for cogent commentary [[link removed]] and in-depth analysis [[link removed]]—all from a free-market perspective. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) [[link removed]]. Join us on Facebook [[link removed]]. And check out the In Touch section for more contact info.

In Print: Commentary and Review Economic Freedom Fell for Three Straight Years [[link removed]] Fraser Blog

Between 2019 and 2022, economic freedom fell in 86 percent of countries. By 2022 (the year with the most recent available data), the average person enjoyed less economic freedom than he or she had in 2007.

Trump Tariff Proposal Would Devastate Ontario Economy [[link removed]] Ottawa Sun

In response to Donald Trump’s proposal to introduce sweeping new tariffs on goods coming from Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford compared the tariff threat to a “family member stabbing you right in the heart.”

Understanding the Necessity of Economic Growth [[link removed]] Financial Times

According to the philosopher Michael Novak, the breakthrough idea of capitalism was not the profit motive (which has existed forever) but the very idea that sustained growth was possible.

Solar and Wind Power Make Electricity More Expensive [[link removed]] Ottawa Sun

After a meeting in Italy last spring, the G7 countries pledged to triple renewable energy sources globally to ensure an “affordable” energy future. But while direct costs for wind and solar are dropping, they remain expensive due in part to the backup energy sources required when renewables are not available.

UN Climate Conference—It’s All about Money [[link removed]] True North

The real goal of the global climate cognoscenti is a giant wealth transfer from developed to developing countries.

Trump’s Promises Should Prompt Major Rethink of Canadian Energy Policy [[link removed]] Calgary Sun

Despite Donald Trump’s pledge to “unleash” the American oil and gas sector by cutting red tape and accelerating permit approvals, the Canadian government remains committed to constraining Canada’s oil and gas industry. The result: more investment to the U.S. and less to Canada.

Trump’s Plans Should Prompt Ottawa to Reverse Damaging Policies Aimed at Oil and Gas [[link removed]] Edmonton Journal

Pledging to “drill, drill, drill,” Trump vows to establish U.S. “energy dominance” by “cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the economy, and by focusing on innovation over long-standing, but totally unnecessary, regulation.” These changes will lower the cost of oil and gas development in the U.S., which means production will increase and commodity prices will likely drop in the U.S., Canada and beyond.

In Focus: Research and Analysis Economic Freedom of North America 2024 [[link removed]]

New Hampshire is again the most economically free state. Rounding out the top five freest states are South Dakota (2nd), Florida (3rd), Tennessee (4th), and Texas (5th). Among U.S. states, the least free are New York (50th), California (49th), Hawaii (48th), New Mexico (47th), and Vermont (46th). Puerto Rico comes in last among U.S. jurisdictions measured in the index.

Economic Freedom of the World 2024 [[link removed]]

Global economic freedom declined for the third year in a row. Hong Kong is the most economically free jurisdiction in the world (although it’s score has declined in recent years), followed by Singapore (2nd), Switzerland (3rd), New Zealand (4th) and the United States (5th). The rankings of other major countries include Canada (8th), Japan (11th), Britain (12th), Germany (16th), Taiwan (19th), Korea (32nd), France (36th), Mexico (65th), India (84th), Brazil (85th), China (104th) and Russia (119th).

Human Freedom Index 2024 [[link removed]]

Nearly nine in 10 people in 165 measured countries have experienced declining freedom in recent years. Switzerland is once again the freest country, followed by New Zealand, Denmark, Luxembourg and Ireland. The United States comes in at 17th (tied with Britain). Rankings for other countries of note include: Canada (11th), Japan (12th), Germany (14th), Taiwan (19th), France (34th), Mexico (94th), India (110th), Russia (139th) and China (150th). Hong Kong, which was the third freest jurisdiction as recently as 2010, has fallen to 50th. The five least-free countries are (in descending order) Sudan, Myanmar, Iran, Yemen and Syria.

In Context: News and Events Econ 101 [[link removed]]

Calling all K-12 educators: The Fraser Institute offers free webinar and in-person programs [[link removed]] to equip you with the tools to teach economics more effectively. Each webinar is hosted over a series of short modules, while our in-person programs take place over the course of one day. These teacher workshops are developed and presented by experts in economics, offering teachers the opportunity to participate in interactive sessions and to take home a wealth of resources, including detailed lesson plans and readings. For a list of lesson plan descriptions, review our Lesson Plan Catalog [[link removed]].

In Touch: Connect with Us To learn more about our research team, visit our senior staff [[link removed]] and senior fellow [[link removed]] pages. We always welcome your feedback at [[email protected]]. To find out more about supporting the Fraser Institute, call (800) 665-3558, ext.568, or donate online [[link removed]].

STAY UP TO DATE

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of 86 think-tanks. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. To find out more, call (800) 665-3558 ext. 590.

Visit our website [[link removed]]

If you no longer wish to receive e-mail updates from us, click here to unsubscribe [link removed].

Contact Us [[link removed]] Privacy Policy [[link removed]] Unsubscribe [link removed] Fraser Institute 4th Floor, 1770 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC V6J 3G7