From Poverty to Prosperity: A Peer-Governed Model Rooted in Classical Liberal Principles

This project aims to advance freedom, flourishing, and human potential by combining classical liberal education with peer accountability to improve poverty alleviation outcomes. Over three years, Mercatus will train 50–60 leaders of poverty-focused organizations in classical liberal principles, launch peer-governed networks of poverty alleviation practitioners, and offer competitive implementation grants for poverty to prosperity initiatives informed by an appreciation of the power of markets, the limits of government and the potential of bottom-up strategies for social change. We will offer develop and implement training programs for emerging poverty-focused practitioners and policy makers as well as peer accountability coaches who will support future peer governed poverty alleviation networks. The goal is to generate sustainable, practitioner-led prosperity networks applying classical liberal solutions in diverse contexts. The project will measure learning, implementation, and replication to assess model viability.