We are very grateful to the following advisors, whose guidance and support was invaluable in the original construction of the Index in 2019. We are also grateful to Mark Lopez, from Pew Research, who helped with the refresh of the Personal Freedom pillar in 2022.

A diverse range of experts contributed to the Index construction phase, from academics, to researchers, and policy leads from a variety of universities and organizations across the United States. This broad collaboration enabled a comprehensive range of views to be captured and ensured the best outcome at each stage of the construction process. The Legatum Institute synthesized all the expert views to reach a final Index framework in 2019, and therefore the views expressed are those of the Institute and do not necessarily reflect the individual views of the advisors.

Inclusive Societies

Christopher Albin-Lackey
Legal & Policy Director, National Center for Access to Justice, Fordham Law School

Katy Bass
Research Director, Knight Institute

Saskia Brechenmacher
Associate Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Alison Brysk
Alison Brysk, Mellichamp Professor of Global Governance, University of California

Meagan Cahill
Senior Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation

David Cuillier
Associate Professor, University of Arizona School of Journalism

Francis Fukuyama
Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow, Stanford – Freeman Sprogli Institute

Mark Gibney
Belk Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina – Asheville

Nazim Habibov
Professor at the School of Social Work, University of Windsor

Seok-Woo Kwon
Robson Professor, University of Calgary

Joseph Lewandowski
Professor of Philosophy, University of Central Missouri

Eguiar Lizundia
Senior Manager for Governance, International Republican Institute

Carol MacGregor
Associate Professor of Sociology, Loyola University, New Orleans

Fred McMahon
Project Editor, Human Freedom Index, Fraser Institute

Toby Mendel
Founder and Executive Director, Centre for Law & Democracy

Tanja Porčnik
President, Visio Institute

Charles Stewart III
Kenan Sahin Distinguished Professor of Political Science, MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL)

Ian Vásquez
Director, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, Cato Institute

Scott Winship
Resident Scholar and Director of Poverty Studies, American Enterprise Initiative

Yahong Zhang
Associate Professor, Rutgers

Open Economies

Laura Alfaro
Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

James Broughel
Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center

Cletus Coughlin
Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff, St Louis Fed

Prakash Loungani
Chief of Development Macroeconomics, IMF

Michael Reed
Professor of Agricultural Economics, University of Kentucky

Louis Tay
Professor, Purdue University

Siri Terjesen
Professor, Florida Atlantic University

Ed Timmons
Professor of Economics, Saint Francis University

Mike Troilo
Associate Professor, University of Tulsa

Claudia Williamson
Probasco Chair, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Empowered People

Corey DeAngelis
Policy Analyst, Cato Institute

Arik Levinson
Professor of Economics, Georgetown University

Nat Malkus
Resident Scholar and Deputy Director of Education Policy Studies, AEI

Sarah Milder
Principal, Arundel Metrics

Doug Noonan
Professor, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis

Dr. Andrew Sharpe
Executive Director, Centre for the Study of Living Standards

Duncan Thomas
Professor of Economics, Global Health and Public Policy, Duke University

David N. Weil
Professor of Economics, Brown University

Zachary A. Wendling
Principal Investigator, 2020 Environmental Performance Index