Global Competitiveness Report

Geoffrey Lawrence

I was just reviewing the 2010-2011 Global Competitiveness Report from the World Economic Forum as I wait for Nevada’s Senate Revenue Committee to begin it’s first meeting.

The Report ranks every nation’s economic environment on the basis of tax and regulatory burdens, legal structures, property rights protection, the degree of public corruption and governmental efficiency.

The Report reveals some very intriguing aspects on the economic environment in the United States. Below are some of the key findings (in all cases, a #1 ranking indicates the best economic environment):

Strength of property rights
US Rank: 40 (Below China)

Diversion of public funds due to coruption
US Rank: 34 (Below Botswana)

Public trust of politicians
US Rank: 54 (Below Iran, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Syria and Indonesia)

Irregular payments and bribes
US Rank: 40 (Below Botswana)

Judicial Independence
US Rank: 35 (Below Rwanda)

Favoritism in decisions of public officials
US Rank: 55 (Below Tanzania)

Wastefulness of government spending
US Rank: 68 (Below Sri Lanka)

Burden of government regulation
US Rank: 49 (Below Finland, Canada)

Efficiency of legal framework in settling disputes
US Rank: 33 (Below Botswana)

Transparency of government policymaking
US Rank: 41 (Below Rwanda, China, Malaysia)

Geoffrey Lawrence

Geoffrey Lawrence

Director of Research

Geoffrey Lawrence is director of research at Nevada Policy.

Lawrence has broad experience as a financial executive in the public and private sectors and as a think tank analyst. Lawrence has been Chief Financial Officer of several growth-stage and publicly traded manufacturing companies and managed all financial reporting, internal control, and external compliance efforts with regulatory agencies including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  Lawrence has also served as the senior appointee to the Nevada State Controller’s Office, where he oversaw the state’s external financial reporting, covering nearly $10 billion in annual transactions. During each year of Lawrence’s tenure, the state received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Award from the Government Finance Officers’ Association.

From 2008 to 2014, Lawrence was director of research and legislative affairs at Nevada Policy and helped the institute develop its platform of ideas to advance and defend a free society.  Lawrence has also written for the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation, with particular expertise in state budgets and labor economics.  He was delighted at the opportunity to return to Nevada Policy in 2022 while concurrently serving as research director at the Reason Foundation.

Lawrence holds an M.A. in international economics from American University in Washington, D.C., an M.S. and a B.S. in accounting from Western Governors University, and a B.A. in international relations from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.  He lives in Las Vegas with his beautiful wife, Jenna, and their two kids, Carson Hayek and Sage Aynne.