Teaching Economic Freedom with the Mystery Nations Lesson

Economic freedom is often overlooked in high school and college curricula and textbooks, despite its significant impact on per capita GDP and a variety of other social indicators. After introducing the Economic Freedom of the World index, this note outlines an innovative teaching lesson. By engaging students in a guessing game about the identity of different countries with known economic characteristics, the lesson highlights the critical role of economic freedom in national prosperity. The result can be a deeper understanding of this vital economic concept.