The 2009 Prosperity Index published by the Legatum Institute has generated ample new data and information for policymakers to analyze and consider. The Index is not a policy prescription in and of itself, nor was it meant to be. Instead, the creators of the Index offer its database as a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, and citizens alike in thinking about the factors that will drive prosperity within their own nations. 

AEI recently hosted a conference discussing the Index, "Accounting for Happiness," featuring William Inboden and Ryan Streeter of the Legatum Institute, AEI's president, Arthur C. Brooks, AEI's Henry Wendt Scholar in Political Economy, Nicholas Eberstat, and Carol Graham of the Brookings Institution. Video, audio, event materials, and a conference summare are all available here.