We lamented not long ago on these Hotline pages that large family “charities” like the Hewlett Foundation are donating tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars to promote more government and LESS economic freedom.

We wish that the trustees of these groups would spend a little time and read the Heritage Foundation’s indispensable Index of Economic Freedom. This is such a terribly simple story that we are confounded that so many self-proclaimed smart people don’t get the message.

Repeat after us: more economic freedom means EVERYONE gets richer. Less economic freedom means everyone (except the political leaders) get poorer. The two charts below show the iron-clad relationship.

And for politicians who don’t understand what economic freedom means, it is the rule of law, stable money, low tax rates, private property rights, low tariffs, light regulation, a small size of government.