While hundreds of millions of people in Asia have been lifted up from extreme poverty over the last three decades through economic liberalization, this outcome has been uneven and inconsistent. Rural populations especially have been left out of this growth. There has been little empirical research done on why this is and how to change it.

Atlas proposes this project to help expand liberalization in Asia through extensive empirical research, and better communication of the findings of this research based on serious market analysis. This communication will focus on sharing the ideas with journalists, policy makers, and the general public.

Atlas’s role as an international organization supporting free-market think tanks makes it uniquely positioned to fulfill the goals of this project. Atlas will mobilize its partners to produce 60 new research studies to solve local problems with free-market policies. This project will compile dozens of topic specific studies that in aggregate, will be an important push against entrenched privileges that saddle Asian economies with enormous dead weight. Atlas will hold focus groups on these topics and how to communicate the research and will also use its Asia Liberty Forum conference to build broader interest in expanding this project and building on its early successes.

Atlas expects to see media citations of the research as well as a growing interest in think tanks and the community that supports them. Over the medium term, we expect the project to lead to real-world reforms that allow the vulnerable populations to earn a livelihood and assert their natural rights. Atlas believes this project will have a rippling effect as other think tanks begin to replicate this work.