Global Prosperity Initiative

The Global Prosperity Initiative addresses the question, "Why do some societies prosper, while others remain stagnant and poor?" Research findings are applied to problems of international economic development as well as economic stagnation and decline in the United States.

Research

U.S. Immigration Policy in the 21st Century Benjamin J. VanMetre, Joshua C. Hall, Richard K. Vedder \| Jan 2012 This article argues a new approach to immigration in that visas should not be allocated based on arbitrary political criteria but instead through the price system.	Do Subsidies Justify Retaliatory Protectionism? Donald J. Boudreaux \| Oct 07, 2011 In this journal article published by Economic Affairs, Don Boudreaux examines whether protectionism is justified if foreign governments are subsidizing export industries.
Taking Institutions Seriously John Nye \| Jun 21, 2011 This essay uses the Philippines as a case study to suggest what is wrong with leading development prescriptions.	The Potential Impact of an Optional Federal Charter on the Social Resiliency of Hazard-Prone Regions David Marlett \| Aug 12, 2010 This paper assesses the potential impact that an optional federal charter (OFC) for property and casualty insurance would have on social resiliency in affected communities in the United States. It…
Book Review of Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa Johan van der Walt \| Nov 16, 2009 Dambisa Moyo’s new book, Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa, has received a great deal of attention in the last few months. Moyo’s book is a must-read for any…	The Political Economy of Crisis Opportunism Robert Higgs \| Oct 2009 Under modern ideological conditions, a national emergency produces a virtual free-for-all of policies, programs, and plans that expand the government’s power. This expansion leaves the public with…

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Testimony & Comments

Testimony on Following the Money: Accountability and Transparency in Recovery Act Science Funding

Eileen Norcross | Mar 19, 2009

This testimony was presented to the House Committee on Science and Technology on March 19, 2009.

Strengthening Economic Freedom: Natural Resource Indicators and Economic Growth

Daniel M. Rothschild, Frederic Sautet, Kyle McKenzie | Oct 26, 2006

In this policy comment submitted to the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the Mercatus Center reflects on the first three years of the MCC and evaluates the potential of two proposed "natural…

Speeches & Presentations

The Battle of Ideas: Economics and the Struggle for a Better World Peter J. Boettke \| Aug 07, 2007 This paper is Peter J. Boettke's speech at the twelfth Sir Ronald Trotter Lecture in New Zealand. Sir Ronald Trotter was the first chairman of the New Zealand Business Roundtable, who was knighted in…	Frederic Sautet on Voice of America Frederic Sautet \| Jun 09, 2005 Frederic Sautet on Voice of America…
The Formal, the Informal and the Three Entrepreneurs Frederic Sautet \| Nov 19, 2004 On October 19, 2004, Mercatus Center Senior Fellow Frederic Sautet delivered a presentation on institutions and entrepreneurship to the New Zealand Business Roundtable (NZBR). This talk was part of…	Iraq: Physical and Political Security: Toward an Exit Strategy \| Nov 10, 2003 From the conference "America's Role as Nation Builder: Lessons Learned and Applied to Iraq." Discussion in this session revolved around concerns of nation building experts and practitioners.
The Bush Administration's Strategy in Iraq Tim Roemer, Paul Wolfowitz \| Nov 04, 2003 Remark by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz on the topic of the Bush administration's strategy in Iraq.	Toward Legitimacy: Strategic Institution Building Jack Goldstone, Maurice P. McTigue, Vernon Smith \| Nov 04, 2003 Maurice McTigue, Vice President of Mercatus, Vernon Smith, Mercatus Center Fellow, and Jack Goldstone, Mercatus Center Fellow, participate in a panel discussion concerning reconstruction in Iraq.

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Experts

Paul Dragos Aligica

Paul Dragos Aligica is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center, and Senior Fellow at the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at George Mason University.

Peter J. Boettke

Peter Boettke is a University Professor of Economics and Philosophy at George Mason University, the BB&T Professor for the Study of Capitalism, and the Director of the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at GMU.

Karol Boudreaux

Karol Boudreaux is an affiliated senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center. Her primary research interests are the institutional analysis of property rights, land tenure, natural resource management, and international development.

Emily Chamlee-Wright

Emily Chamlee-Wright is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Her primary research interests include development economics, cultural economics, and indigenous markets in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Christopher Coyne

Christopher Coyne is Associate Director of the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He also holds the title of F.A. Harper Professor of Economics at the Mercatus Center and he is a member of the department of economics at George Mason University where he serves as the Director of Graduate Studies.

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Videos

Garett Jones Reveals Problems with the Stimulus on Freedom Watch

Garett Jones | September 04, 2011

Garett Jones explains that the stimulus led to more job shifting than job creation.

Podcasts

Post Apartheid: The South African Election and Development Policy

Karol Boudreaux | November 01, 2009

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is proud to present a lecture by Karol Boudreaux. Ms. Boudreaux is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center; lead researcher for Enterprise Africa!, a research project that investigates, analyzes, and reports on enterprise-based solutions to poverty in Africa; and a member of the Working Group on Property Rights of the U.N.'s Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor.

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Recent Events

Constituting Development in Somaliland

| October 07, 2009

The Social Change Project at the Mercatus Center presented a lecture by Sujai Shivakumar, Senior Program Officer at the National Academies. Dr. Shivakumar discussed the importance of crafting…

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Books

Book Chapter: An Entrepreneurial Theory of Social and Cultural Change

Christopher Coyne, Peter J. Boettke | Aug 17, 2009

This chapter contends that the entrepreneur is the agent of social and cultural change. The authors consider the entrepreneur in three settings: market, non-market and political. Their purpose is to…

More Books

U.S. Immigration Policy in the 21st Century Benjamin J. VanMetre, Joshua C. Hall, Richard K. Vedder \| Jan 2012 This article argues a new approach to immigration in that visas should not be allocated based on arbitrary political criteria but instead through the price system.	Do Subsidies Justify Retaliatory Protectionism? Donald J. Boudreaux \| Oct 07, 2011 In this journal article published by Economic Affairs, Don Boudreaux examines whether protectionism is justified if foreign governments are subsidizing export industries.
Taking Institutions Seriously John Nye \| Jun 21, 2011 This essay uses the Philippines as a case study to suggest what is wrong with leading development prescriptions.	The Potential Impact of an Optional Federal Charter on the Social Resiliency of Hazard-Prone Regions David Marlett \| Aug 12, 2010 This paper assesses the potential impact that an optional federal charter (OFC) for property and casualty insurance would have on social resiliency in affected communities in the United States. It…
Book Review of Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa Johan van der Walt \| Nov 16, 2009 Dambisa Moyo’s new book, Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa, has received a great deal of attention in the last few months. Moyo’s book is a must-read for any…	The Political Economy of Crisis Opportunism Robert Higgs \| Oct 2009 Under modern ideological conditions, a national emergency produces a virtual free-for-all of policies, programs, and plans that expand the government’s power. This expansion leaves the public with…

The Battle of Ideas: Economics and the Struggle for a Better World Peter J. Boettke \| Aug 07, 2007 This paper is Peter J. Boettke's speech at the twelfth Sir Ronald Trotter Lecture in New Zealand. Sir Ronald Trotter was the first chairman of the New Zealand Business Roundtable, who was knighted in…	Frederic Sautet on Voice of America Frederic Sautet \| Jun 09, 2005 Frederic Sautet on Voice of America…
The Formal, the Informal and the Three Entrepreneurs Frederic Sautet \| Nov 19, 2004 On October 19, 2004, Mercatus Center Senior Fellow Frederic Sautet delivered a presentation on institutions and entrepreneurship to the New Zealand Business Roundtable (NZBR). This talk was part of…	Iraq: Physical and Political Security: Toward an Exit Strategy \| Nov 10, 2003 From the conference "America's Role as Nation Builder: Lessons Learned and Applied to Iraq." Discussion in this session revolved around concerns of nation building experts and practitioners.
The Bush Administration's Strategy in Iraq Tim Roemer, Paul Wolfowitz \| Nov 04, 2003 Remark by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz on the topic of the Bush administration's strategy in Iraq.	Toward Legitimacy: Strategic Institution Building Jack Goldstone, Maurice P. McTigue, Vernon Smith \| Nov 04, 2003 Maurice McTigue, Vice President of Mercatus, Vernon Smith, Mercatus Center Fellow, and Jack Goldstone, Mercatus Center Fellow, participate in a panel discussion concerning reconstruction in Iraq.