Education About Economic Liberty
Economic Liberty
The right to earn a living in the occupation of your choice without unnecessary government intervention.
The Birthright of Economic Liberty
Economic liberty—the right to earn an honest living—is one of the most important rights of free people. Over time, this right has been restricted by unnecessary laws and regulations. Legislators should govern from a presumption of liberty. Applied practically, this means legislators should presume individuals have the right to practice their chosen occupations free from government regulation unless and until systematic evidence shows this right must be curtailed to protect the public.
Free Market
An economic system based on supply and demand with minimal or no government intervention.
Free Market Pillars
The liberty of an individual to exercise those rights generally accepted as being outside of government control.
Concise, consistent, and systematic enforcement of the rule of law, equal protection before the law, and impartial enforcement of breaches of the law, gives everyone a clear understanding of the options available and empowers us to better plan our options.
The rights of individuals and organizations to own and use goods, and to obtain a profit from these.
A government in which the powers over the people are those determined and delegated to it by a written constitution. A limited government allows people to control government intervention through representation and voting power.
Improper and even illegal behaviors, such as the exploitation of advantages and privileges, that divert the legitimate business objective of making profits.
Free Enterprise
What is free enterprise? What role does it play in the economy and how does it relate to economic liberty? Why do different ways of interfering with free enterprise persist? What problems can interference with free enterprise cause? Under what circumstances is limiting the space for free enterprise justified?
Freedom and the Rule of Law
The word freedom is used constantly, but little understood; to understand it, it is important to see the State as a civil association of individuals, where different ways of living and purposes coexist. This coexistence depends on a rule of law, which allows individuals to pursue their conception of the good life consistent with the rules of the association. The freedom requires a rule of law, which allows free action and cooperation of individuals in the market and thus benefits the economy.
Necessity Has Triumphed over Desire
Liberalism is the political doctrine that built and dominates our modern world; yet the liberalism of desire that fostered the construction of this world has been transformed into a liberalism of necessity—a liberalism that constructs politics as a dichotomy between oppressors and victims. This kind of politics requires the power of the State to save individuals from victimhood; however, only the individual acting freely can mitigate their suffering.
The Right to Private Property
Why is the right to private property important? What is the relationship between private property and economic liberty and free market economy? Why is private property related to economic efficiency and innovation? How do you protect the private property in Puerto Rico and the United States? What are the limits of private property?
The Role of Government and the free Market
The free-market system allows the individual to interact freely for the satisfaction of his conception of the good life within the rule of law. The individual as an agent is the main actor within the market; however, private, or public businesses and the State itself also figure as actors in the free market. In this article, we present the three ways in which the State acts in the free market.
Puerto Rico and the Free Market
Articles on the economic and political development of Puerto Rico, as well as free market perspectives on the Island.
The Situation of Puerto Rico in the First Half of the 20th Century
How did Puerto Rico come to its current situation? What does the future hold for the Island’s economy? Why is it important to talk about the free market, free enterprise, individual liberties and responsibilities, private property rights and law and order in Puerto Rico? These and other questions are some of the issues we address in this section about Puerto Rico’s past, present and potential future.