PROPERTY RIGHTS, TRADE, AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS USING ALTERNATIVE MEASURES

The effect that the components of the Economic Freedom of the World Index (Gwartney, Lawson, and Block, 2004) have on alternative measurements of well being is investigated. The objective is to observe the effect of trade policies and property rights on the quality of life using the Human Development Index (UNDP, 1995) and the Index of Human Progress (Emes and Hahn, 2001). Positive results are found with regard to the effect of property rights, free trade, and limited regulation on the quality of life. The results for property rights are robust.