Robert A. Lawson

Clinical Professor in Economics and Director, Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom, Southern Methodist University

Robert A. Lawson is Clinical Professor in Economics, Jerome M. Fullinwider Centennial Chair in Economic Freedom, and Director of the Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom in the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.  He earned his B.S. in economics from the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in economics from Florida State University. A Senior Fellow at the Fraser Institute, he has numerous professional publications in journals such as Public Choice, Cato Journal, Journal of Labor Research, Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics, and the European Journal of Political Economy.  Prof. Lawson has served as President of the Association of Private Enterprise Education and is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society.

Recent Research by Robert A. Lawson

— Aug 18, 2022
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Economic Freedom in the Literature

Economic Freedom in the Literature—What Is It Good (Bad) For? finds that according to a wide-ranging literary review, economic freedom helps produce faster economic growth, higher living standards and more happiness.

— Sep 14, 2021
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Economic Freedom of the World: 2021 Annual Report

Economic Freedom of the World: 2021 Annual Report is the world's premier measurement of economic freedom, ranking countries based on five areas—size of government, legal structure and property rights, access to sound money, freedom to trade internationally, regulation of credit, labour and business. In this year's report, which compares 165 countries and territories, Hong Kong is again number one—although China's heavy hand will likely lower Hong Kong's ranking in future years—and Canada (14th) trails the United States (6th).