WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Argentina used to be one the world’s wealthiest nations. Yet decades of economic mismanagement and a ballooning state have tanked its economy. Libertad y Progreso’s massive education campaign showed how absurdly bloated the size of the state was, and prompted many important changes, even in its present economic crisis.
“We believe that the recent restructure of the Federal cabinet, merging 21 ministries into 10, confirms that we are finally having some real impact in policy making in Argentina,” said Agustín Etchebarne, director general of LyP. “With three years of delay the government is implementing part of our agenda to decrease government expenditures, pressured by the economic crisis. This proves that a small team of professionals using social media, videos, and participating in talk shows and media appearances with clear ideas and perseverance, can influence the direction of government policies and public opinion. We are very proud of being a small part of the Atlas Network of think tanks that are contributing to alleviating poverty through improving self-reliance, bringing freedom and prosperity in our countries.”
LyP set out to show the real nature of government with “Downsizing of Argentina’s Government,” a comprehensive education, awareness, and advocacy campaign that addressed issues of nepotism, government waste, and public political apathy. LyP’s research, media presence, and social activism resulted in the Macri administration’s adoption of a series of reforms, including tax and debt reduction, transportation modernization, and regulatory relief, to reduce the size of the state. While Argentina faces ongoing challenges, borne from years of economic mismanagement, LyP's important work is popularizing the understanding that lasting prosperity requires self-reliance, not government intervention.
“Government leaders rarely have the will to downsize what they control,” said Brad Lips, CEO of Atlas Network. “It takes an independent, non-partisan think tank like Libertad y Progreso to hold feet to the fire, no matter who is in power, and show how to implement reforms so government will serve the public, rather than be a burden to it.”
What: Libertad y Progreso named one of six finalists for Atlas Network's prestigious $100,000 Templeton Freedom Award for work on downsizing of Argentina’s government
When: Nov. 8, 2018, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Liberty Forum & Freedom Dinner closing ceremony – Intrepid Museum Manhattan Pier 86, West 46th St & 12th Ave, New York, NY 10036
Press Contact: Daniel.Anthony@AtlasNetwork.org or 202-449-8449
Awarded since 2004, the Templeton Freedom Award is named for the late investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton. The award annually honors his legacy by identifying and recognizing the most exceptional and innovative contributions to the understanding of free enterprise, and the public policies that encourage prosperity, innovation, and human fulfillment via free competition. The award is generously supported by Templeton Religion Trust and will be presented during Atlas Network's Liberty Forum & Freedom Dinner gala dinner ceremony Nov. 8, 2018 in New York City. The winning organization will receive a $100,000 prize and the runners-up will each receive $25,000.
The 2018 Templeton Freedom Award finalists are:
- The Buckeye Institute (Columbus, Ohio, United States) – “Increasing Safety, Liberty, and Justice: Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform in Ohio”
- The Commonwealth Foundation (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States) — “A Titanic Shift: Pension Reform in Pennsylvania”
- The Egyptian Center for Public Policy Studies of Egypt (Cairo, Egypt) — “Better Budget for a Better Egypt”
- Libertad y Progreso (Buenos Aires, Argentina) — “Downsizing of Argentina’s Government”
- Lipa Taxpayers Association (Zagreb, Croatia) — “Campaign Against the Introduction of the Property Tax in Croatia”
- The Mercatus Center at George Mason University (Arlington, Virginia, United States) – “Unleashing Prosperity by Cutting State Regulations”
About Libertad y Progreso
Buenos Aires-based Libertad y Progreso develops and promotes long-term public policies and promotes citizen participation and debate about the role of the state and of the people in society. Its vision is an Argentina transformed into an open society based on respect for individual rights, limited government, private property, free markets, and peace.
About Atlas Network
Washington-based Atlas Network is a nonprofit organization that strengthens the worldwide freedom movement by connecting more than 485 independent partners in over 90 countries that share the vision of a free, prosperous, and peaceful world where limited governments defend the rule of law, private property, and free markets.
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