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U.S. Ranking Falls to 18th in Annual Economic Freedom of the World Report

The level of economic freedom in the U.S. is in decline and is expected to continue falling.  That’s according to the Economic Freedom of the World Report released this month by the conservative non-profit Frasier Institute. 

The annual report from the Canadian think-tank ranks the level of economic freedom of more than 140 countries around the world.  Analysts consider issues such as size of government, property rights and regulatory environment to determine how much control entrepreneurs and businesses have over their financial resources.  The U.S. had been known as one of the top freest economies, but for more than a decade, the U.S. has been sliding down the ranking to now 18th place.  WGCU’s John Davis spoke with Florida Gulf Coast University Economics Professor Dean Stansel about the report, and what the U.S. ranking indicates about the prospects for economic recovery in Florida.  You can check out the full report online at www.freetheworld.com