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| Economic Freedom Institute |
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"In the general course of human nature, a power over a man's subsistence amounts to a power over his will." - Alexander Hamilton "Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficial. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasions of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greater dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding." - Justice Louis Brandeis These statements by Hamilton and Brandeis are parts of a debate regarding economic freedom which has involved eminent scholars as well as political, religious, labor, and business leaders for more than two centuries. The freedom of people to pursue their economic interests is connected closely by some scholars with the very rise and fall of nations. The following questions illustrate the dimensions of this concern. A FEW VITAL QUESTIONS:
GOAL: The Economic Freedom Institute is an enterprise which catalyzes both the popular and scholarly discussion of issues related to economic freedom such as those suggested by the preceding questions. This endeavor has importance and broad scope, as these questions above surely indicate. The tools of applied economics are well developed and well integrated into college and professional school curricula. However, the efficacy and value of public policies which promote or impinge upon economic freedom are less discussed and less well understood. EFI provides a forum for the study, analysis, and discussion of the nature of economic freedom and its implications. It fosters the exchange and development of ideas concerning policies and programs of importance in regional, national, and international arenas. Open to a variety of viewpoints and philosophies, participants in EFI include scholars, corporate executives, and officials from labor unions, non-profit institutions, and various levels of government. EFI's primary audience is Westchester and Fairfield counties, an area possessing a highly educated and interested population but one in which there exist few vehicles to conduct sophisticated discussions of economic liberties. EFI will assure that these counties have a place in the discussions; and representatives from private and public institutions, including secondary schools, will be invited to its functions. Edward W. Ryan, Professor Emeritus of Economics at Manhattanville College, founded the EFI and was its first Director. A member of the Manhattanville community for many years, Professor Ryan's major field of scholarly inquiry is economic freedom. He is the author of In The Words of Adam Smith: The First Consumer Advocate, published by Thomas Horton and Daughters with a foreword by William E. Simon and Liberty, Virtue and Happiness: The Story of Economic Freedom in America. Dr. Anna Sachko Gandolfi, Professor of Economics and Finance is the current Director of the Institute. She has published several articles in Economics and Finance journals and is the co-author of Economics As An Evolutionary Science published by Transactions Publishers. MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE: Founded in 1841, Manhattanville College, located in Westchester County, New York, is a coeducational, nonsectarian institution. It offers more than 30 majors, including economics, finance, management, and international management, and several graduate programs. Students are drawn from over 35 states and more than 40 nations. Manhattanville is an institution which works closely with its students, enabling them to acquire analytical and critical depth from a liberal education as well as the skills required by the marketplace. The faculty is an accomplished and dedicated body, known for its teaching and for its professional engagement. The College is justly proud of a most distinguished alumni body. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: ECONOMIC FREEDOM INSTITUTE Anna Sachko Gandolfi, Ph.D., Director Dept. Admin. Asst. Carolyn Greaige |