Economic Freedom: Key to Post-Conflict Recovery

Anthony B. Kim / April 27, 2010

In his latest article in Foreign Affairs, Carl J. Schramm, president and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, calls for “expeditionary economics” a new strategy for reconstructing economies of post-conflict countries. Pointing out that the current U.S. Army Stability Operations field manual “epitomizes the central-planning mindset that prevails in the international development community,” Mr. Schramm argues that a more strategic attention should be paid to a bottom up approach based on encouraging entrepreneurship that will greatly enhance reconstruction progress.

According to Mr. Schramm, “Entrepreneurial capitalism is messy, since it is highly organic rather than centrally planned or centrally managed. Many different people and entities bring the elements–from new firms to university research to federally funded research–into place, and activity flourishes from letting them all evolve and interact in the marketplace. It is nearly impossible to predict what outcomes these activities will bring beyond a broad trend toward higher productivity, rising standards of living, and continued economic growth.” (more…)