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Book cover
  • Book
  • Open Access
  • © 2020

Liberal Democracy

Prosperity through Freedom

Authors:

  1. Max Meyer

    1. Bern, Switzerland

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  • Shows which factors were decisive for the rise of successful countries

  • Describes the conditions necessary for a country to maintain its position at the top

  • Presents freedom, equal opportunity and a functioning government as the foundation for sustainable prosperity

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Political Science (BRIEFSPOLITICAL)

Sections

Softcover Book USD 17.99
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Table of contents (12 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-viii
    PDF

  2. European Values

    • Max Meyer
    Pages 1-6Open Access

  3. Liberalism

    • Max Meyer
    Pages 7-11Open Access

  4. Change and Its Consequences

    • Max Meyer
    Pages 13-16Open Access

  6. All People Are Winners

    • Max Meyer
    Pages 25-29Open Access

  8. Behavior Towards Autocracies

    • Max Meyer
    Pages 41-44Open Access

  9. Xenophobia

    • Max Meyer
    Pages 45-48Open Access

  10. Education and Culture Made the Difference

    • Max Meyer
    Pages 49-52Open Access

  11. Strategic Development of the European Union

    • Max Meyer
    Pages 53-61Open Access

  12. Good Governance

    • Max Meyer
    Pages 63-67Open Access

  13. Theses and Conclusion

    • Max Meyer
    Pages 69-71Open Access

  14. Back Matter

    Pages 73-74
    PDF
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About this book

 This open access book aims to show which factors have been decisive in the rise of successful countries. Never before have so many people been so well off. However, prosperity is not a law of nature; it has to be worked for. A liberal economy stands at the forefront of this success – not as a political system, but as a set of economic rules promoting competition, which in turn leads to innovation, research and enormous productivity. 

Sustainable prosperity is built on a foundation of freedom, equal opportunity and a functioning government. This requires a stable democracy that cannot be defeated by an autocrat. 
Autocrats claim that “illiberalism” is more efficient, an assertion that justifies their own power. Although autocrats can efficiently guide the first steps out of poverty, once a certain level of prosperity has been achieved, people begin to demand a sense of well-being – freedom and codetermination. Only when this is possible will they feel comfortable, and progress will continue. Respect for human rights is crucial.

The rules of the free market do not lean to either the right or left politically. Liberalism and the welfare state are not mutually exclusive. The “conflict” concerns the amount of government intervention. Should there be more or less?

As a lawyer, entrepreneur, and board member with over 40 years of experience in this field of conflict, the author clearly describes the conditions necessary for a country to maintain its position at the top.


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Keywords

  • Liberalism
  • Equal opportunity
  • Stable democracy
  • Freedom
  • Free market
  • Government intervention
  • Liberal Economy
  • Illiberalism
  • Human rights
  • Autocracy
  • Poverty
  • Prosperity
  • Productivity
  • Innovation
  • Welfare state
  • European Union
  • Switzerland
  • Immigration
  • Integration
  • Open access
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Authors and Affiliations

  • Bern, Switzerland

    Max Meyer

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About the author

Born in 1946, the author, Max Meyer grew up in Bern, Switzerland and is a graduate of the University of Bern where he received his doctoral degree in law qualifying as an attorney-at-law and civil law notary. In 1991 he completed the Executive Program at Stanford University Business School in California, USA. 

Max Meyer not only practiced law for several decades but also founded several companies in the areas of wealth management, property management and fiduciary management. He has served as a member of the board for several large companies, including large retailers, a bank and several SMEs. As a young man he was elected president of a large political party in Bern, but later made the conscious decision to retire from politics. He has published several works in the field of economics.

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Bibliographic Information

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Softcover Book USD 17.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Learn about institutional subscriptions