Freedom and violence :: CNW Group

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Economic freedom is almost 50 times more effective than democracy in diminishing violent conflict between nations, according to the Economic Freedom of the World: 2005 Annual Report, released today by The Fraser Institute.
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When measures of both economic freedom and democracy are included in a statistical study, economic freedom is about 50 times more effective than democracy in diminishing violent conflict. The impact of economic freedom on whether states fight or have a military dispute is highly significant, while democracy is not a statistically significant predictor of conflict.
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The cornerstones of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to compete, and security of privately owned property. This is the 9th edition of Economic Freedom of the World. This year's publication ranks 127 nations for 2003, the most recent year for which data are available. The report also updates data in earlier reports in instances where data have been revised. Thirty-eight components and sub-components are used to construct a summary index and to measure the degree of economic freedom in five areas: (1) size of government; (2) legal structure and protection of property rights; (3) access to sound money; (4) international exchange; and (5) regulation.