Big government, mediocre judicial services

The EU has 28 members, and the OECD has 34, but the CR is No. 42 in the world in the Economic Freedom of the World Index. The CR is tied for the No. 42 spot with Bulgaria, Jamaica and Sweden. This is a libertarian-like index, with emphasis on small government, independent courts and laissez-faire regulation. If the CR wanted to be more like Germany (No. 29), it would have to cut its top marginal tax rate, reduce government consumption and improve the independence of the legal system. If it wanted to be more like Switzerland (No. 4), it would have to do these same things on an even bigger scale and also ease business regulation. Where the CR fails the most is in the areas of judicial independence, impartiality of the courts, legal enforcement of contracts and the reliability of the police. This survey is another reminder that the amount a government spends isn't necessarily an indicator of the quality of the services it provides.