Each year, the Centre for the New Europe hosts a reception for the launch of the Index of Economic Freedom, a publication of The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal.

The 2007 Index measures and ranks 161 countries across 10 specific freedoms - things like tax rates and property rights. For this latest edition, the methodology has been revised to provide an even clearer picture of economic freedom by using data-driven equations rather than performance brackets, allowing countries to be graded using a percent score rather than a 1–5 rating. In addition, labor freedom has been added as a variable. As always, the "Ten Freedoms" are blended equally to produce a simple, unbiased overall score for each country.

Complete information about the Index of Economic Freedom can be found here.

Dr. Tim Kane is one of the Heritage Foundation's leading scholars on economic policy issues. He was a senior economist at the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress and a professor of economics at Occidental College and San Diego State University. He taught courses in economic growth and development, macroeconomics, entrepreneurial economics, and public finance.

As an economics expert, he has provided commentary for CBN, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News, National Public Radio, Bloomberg TV and radio, and many other media outlets. His editorials have appeared in newspapers nationwide including USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and the San Diego Union-Tribune. full bio