Ekonomik Özgürlük, Demokrasi ve Hayat Memnuniyeti

Yıl 2013, Sayı: 72, 85 - 108, 01.09.2013

Martin Rode Bodo Knoll Hans Pitlik

Öz

Uzun zamandır, siyasetçi ve bilim insanlarının temel ekonomik ilgi alanları, politika üretim süreci için büyüme ve gelir göstergelerine odaklanarak bir kılavuz sunmak olmuştur. Hayat memnuniyeti gibi temel faktörlere dair mevcut bilginin görece kıtlığı nedeniyle bu durum doğal bir başlangıç noktası olmuş ve ülkelerdeki hayat standartı farklılıklarından doğan belirli sorular bu meseleyi şekillendiren temel etken olmuştur: Hızlı ve yavaş büyüyen ülkelerin hangi önemli özellikleri fark yaratmaktadır? Neden düşük sermaye birikimi olan bazı ülkeler daha iyi başlama koşullarına sahipken diğer ülkelere göre daha iyi büyüme rakamları elde etmişlerdir? Bu sorulara verilebilecek cevap, son dönemdeki bazı araştırmaların da gösterdiği gibi kurumların genel niteliğinin uzun dönem büyüme ve ekonomik gelişmenin temel önemli faktörlerinden biri olmasıdır. Özellikle, ekonomik özgürlük ve piyasaların serbestleşmesinin büyüme ve gelire ilişkin pozitif bir etki yarattığına yönelik güçlü veriler mevcuttur

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