U.S. National Security Strategy: Is There an Empirical Relationship Between Economic Freedom and Political Freedom

摘要

One of the major concerns for current foreign policy leaders in the United States is the impact of failed states. This view is reflected in the text of the most current U.S. National Security Strategy of the United States, (March 2006). The strategy says clearly, 'The goal of our statecraft is to help create a world of democratic, well governed states.' Furthermore, 'It is the policy of the United States to support democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture.' One of the essential tasks in the strategy to accomplish these goals is to increase global economic growth through free markets and free trade. Economic freedom in turn, will empower individuals to then demand political freedom. A case in point of this phenomenon is China, where U.S. leaders hope that greater economic prosperity will cause the Chinese people to demand greater political freedom. The increasing number of organized protests occurring throughout China would seem to support this approach. Notwithstanding the unambiguous language in the National Security Strategy, the question remains open as to whether the belief that the relationship between economic and political freedom has any empirical basis. This research is important because it calls into question one of the basic tenets of U.S. foreign policy. For instance, the nature of the relationship between economic freedom and political freedom has great ramifications for U.S. foreign aid. In an effort to create democracy, is aid money better spent on building political or economic institutions, or both. This study aims to put that relationship to the test. Section II of this study reviews the current literature on the relationship between economic freedom and political freedom. This review will survey the various competing explanations on the relationship between economic and political freedom as well as identify other, outside, causal factors for the two phenomena.