At this Policy Forum, Independent Institute Senior Fellow Alvaro Vargas Llosa, former Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga, economist William Easterly, and a group of policy experts discuss the findings of the book, Lessons from the Poor. The speakers examine real-world examples of entrepreneurship and why instead of redistributing existing wealth, governments should free people so that they can create it.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
In June 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Kelo v. New London that local governments may force property owners to sell out and to make way for private economic development, even if the property is not blighted. In response, many states have passed legislation and proposed amendments to their state constitutions to block this unprecedented government assault on the rights of property owners.