Freedom is the ability to lead a meaningful life. We are building the instrument that assesses political and economic decisions against that standard.
What is the Freedom Test?
The Freedom Test is an instrument that shows, for political and economic decisions, what is promised, what is counted and what remains out of view, whose freedom is weighed and whose freedom is forgotten.
By making freedom a central goal, we broaden how we look at the economy: what it delivers, what it costs and for whom.
The test shows:
- what a decision promises
- what is counted in it
- what remains out of view
- whose freedom is enlarged and whose freedom is reduced
How does it work?
The Freedom Test uses existing indicators, including those for broad prosperity, and data from the OECD, UN and European Commission. The test is scientifically grounded and connects to the capabilities approach: the question of whether people genuinely have the ability and agency to shape their lives.
The test is not a political judgement. It is an analytical instrument that makes visible what currently remains hidden: the freedom effects of economic choices.
Why now?
The Netherlands faces major economic transitions in energy, housing and industry. Those transitions require decisions. Every decision involves opportunities and constraints. The Freedom Test makes that distribution visible, so the debate can be conducted honestly. In doing so, we clear the way for the new economy.