Bridwell Institute @ Cox

The Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom is a research institute in the SMU Cox School of Business.

The Institute was established in 2020 with the generous support of Mr. and Mrs. Tucker Bridwell (BBA ’73, MBA ’74). Dean Matthew Myer's message about the Bridwell Institute's founding can be found here.

The Bridwell Institute continues and expands upon the mission of its predecessor, the William J. O’Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom.  

New Research - The Bridwell Institute is pleased to release its first study in a new "Occasional Papers" series. Click here to read Jason Brennan's "The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dilemma: The Wrong Reasons or the Wrong Kind?"

Mission And Vision

The mission of the Bridwell Institute is to foster the scholarly study and intellectual discussion of the nature, consequences, and causes of economic freedom in our local, state, national, and international communities.
In support of our mission, the Bridwell Institute seeks to:

• Influence the academic debate by generating and sponsoring high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship related to the nature, consequences, and causes of economic freedom.
• Become a leader on the SMU campus by engaging students about the ideas of economic freedom through reading groups and related programs.
• Elevate and enliven the discussion and debate about economic freedom in the wider DFW community.
• Encourage teaching about “free enterprise and its benefits” in schools in Texas and beyond through our economic education programs.

Initiatives

• Economic Education - In addition to the classroom teaching of our faculty, the Bridwell Institute is directly involved in several economic education efforts.
• Research - Through our Annual Report essays and work on the Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom of the World and Economic Freedom of North America reports the Bridwell Institute aims to become a leading research center on the nature of, causes, and consequences of economic freedom.