Dear John,

Populism has increased dramatically in the past two decades, and has spread to much of the globe.

A new study published by the Fraser Institute today investigates the relationship between populism and economic freedom — the ability of individuals to make their own economic decisions.

It finds that populism in government can lead to a decline in economic freedom, because populist leaders tend to advocate for policies that restrict economic freedom, such as protectionism, an overly expansionary monetary policy, and higher government spending.

In developed democratic countries, the negative association between populism and economic freedom seems to be mediated to a substantial degree – likely due to institutional guardrails, such as constitutional rules to protect minority rights, an independent judiciary, and checks and balances on government power.

Read the full study here, and be sure to share it with your friends and colleagues.

Sincerely,

Niels Veldhuis
President
The Fraser Institute