A key factor to asses in the political environment is the stability of the local government. Examine the country's policies toward business, including factors such as trade and tariff policy, tax structure, anti-trust and competition regulations, union power and consumer protection laws.
Political Conditions
- Index of Economic FreedomDoes the government allow labor, capital and goods to move freely? The Heritage Foundation measures ten variables and ranks countries.
- Transparency InternationalTransparency International publishes an annual Global Corruption Report, a Bribe Payers Index, and a Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking countries by the degree to which corruption exists among public officials.
- Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI)The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) project reports aggregate and individual governance indicators for countries and territories for six dimensions of governance: Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law and Control of Corruption. Click on "Interactive Data Access" for the latest reports.
Business Law & Policy
- Annual Reports by Competition AgenciesLook here for country reports submitted to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that review the latest developments in competition law and policy.
- Doing Business: Law LibraryOnline collection of business laws and regulations. Links to official government Sources of laws regarding labor, taxes, trade, property, banking, companies, civil procedure and bankruptcy. Part of the World Bank's Doing Business project.
Tax Policy
- Worldwide Tax SummariesBasic information about corporate taxes and corporate tax laws in various countries published by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Trade Policy
- National Trade Estimate ReportReports from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative outline foreign trade barriers in countries around the world. Import policies, accounting, legal and other service barriers, investment barriers, and factors such as corruption that impede trade are covered.
- Trade Policy ReviewsWorld Trade Organization (WTO) reviews of the trade policies and practices of member countries. Find a report by the WTO Secretariat and a policy statement from the country's government.
Trade with the United States
- Trade Agreements & NegotiationsU.S. free trade agreements, plus studies and data prepared by the Office of Trade Policy and Analysis (see link above)
- Trade Facts: Countries & RegionsThe Office of the U.S Trade Representative offers Trade Facts: data on exports, imports, the trade balance and investment.
- U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact SheetsU.S. State Department assessments of the current state of U.S. diplomatic relations with foreign countries.