Economic freedom and its effect on economic growth

V diplomskem delu obravnavamo filozofski, konceptualni in tehnični vidik ekonomske svobode ter njen mogoč vpliv na proces gospodarske rasti. Orišemo dva pomembna indikatorja ekonomske svobode (Fraser in Heritage) ter predstavimo rezultate. Da bi lažje pojasnili pomen ekonomske svobode na gospodarsko uspešnost, opredelimo vse pomembnejše dejavnike gospodarske rasti ter na koncu preučimo večino relevantne literature o vplivu ekonomske svobode na gospodarsko rast držav. V znanstveni literaturi se pojavlja množica dejavnikov gospodarske rasti – nekateri so bolj pomembni, nekateri manj. Produkcijski viri, kot so kapital, delo in zemlja, so omejeni. Edini neomejeni bazični vir so nenasitna radovednost, drznost, sposobnost in potreba po raziskovanju in ustvarjanju nečesa novega. Te človeške lastnosti so vir tehnološkega napredka. Tehnični napredek pa je edini in najpomembnejši dejavnik dolgoročne gospodarske rasti družbe. Nova spoznanja, odkritja, ideje in inovacije potrebujejo ustrezno okolje, da se realizirajo na trgu in s tem prispevajo h gospodarski rasti. Potrebujejo ustrezno razvite tržne in politične institucije, ki spodbujajo gospodarske in raziskovalne procese ter stabilno in navzven odprto okolje. V pričujočem delu ugotavljamo: da ima ekonomska svoboda zelo pomemben posredni in neposredni vpliv na gospodarsko rastda višje ravni ekonomske svobode koristijo državi in dolgoročno prebivalcem pomembno zvišajo življenjski standard.The diploma project was designed to study philosophical, conceptual and technical aspects of economic freedom and its possible effect on economic growth process. We introduce two important indicators of economic freedom (Fraser and Heritage) and the results of their measurements around the world. We present the most important factors of economic growth found in literature, as well as the most important literature that deals with the effect of economic freedom on economic growth to explain the importance of economic freedom on economic performance. There are a lot of more or less important economic growth factors presented in academic literature. The production resources such as land, labor and capital are limited. So the only unlimited resources are an insatiable human curiosity, boldness, ability and a need to research and create something new. Those human qualities are the sources of technological progress. The technological progress is the only and the most important factor for countrys\u27 long-term growth. New insights, discoveries, ideas and innovations need the right environment to be brought to the market and thus contributing to economic growth. They also need the developed market and the political institutions that promote economic and research processes, stable environment and international openness. We can find an evidence that economic freedom has very important direct and indirect effects on economic growth and also that the higher levels of economic freedom benefit the country, significantly raising the living standards of its citizens in the long run