About the Members of the Economic Freedom Network / 235 Economic Freedom of the World: 2010 Annual Report v Executive Summary Economic Freedom of the World The index published in Economic Freedom of the World measures the degree to which the policies and institutions of countries are supportive of economic freedom. [...] Chapter 1: Economic Freedom of the World, 2008 The principal authors of the report, James Gwartney (Florida State University), Robert Lawson (Auburn University), and Joshua Hall (Beloit College), review the causes of the financial crisis and the recession. [...] The authors also review the history of the economic freedom project and describe the construction of the index. [...] Given the large costs of unemployment and the enormous number of jobless people worldwide, particularly in the wake of the current financial and economic crisis, governments should consider increasing economic freedom as a means of reducing unemployment. [...] The length and severity of the Great 2 Chapter 1: Economic Freedom of the World, 2008 Depression were the result of a sharp monetary con- to use resources productively and discover better ways traction, imposition of trade restrictions, higher taxes, of doing things is the driving force underlying economic increases in government spending financed with debt, growth and progress.