T h e A d a m S m i t h C o r p o r a t i o n

“Your Guide to a

Wonderful Home”

Interested in Moving?

Make the right choices!

Review the options!

Look towards the best!

Featuring Adam Smith’s rating based on

Wealth of Nations, Book Five

Page 2

A Short Biography of Adam Smith

Born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, Adam Smith is an alumnus of

the University of Glasgow. An academe, Smith delivered

several lectures and tutored the young duke of Buccleuch

for more than two years. He subsequently returned to

Kirkcaldy, where he wrote The Wealth of Nations. The book

was published in 1776, the same year that the American

Declaration of Independence was signed. Smith never

married and died in 1790. Throughout this magazine, Smith

rates countries out of five, to demonstrate which he would

believe were the best. None of them are ideal, of course.

C o u n t r i e s T o M o v e T o Page 3

Table of Contents

Germany……………………………………………………………4

Saudi Arabia……………………………………………………..6

United Arab Emirates……………………………………….8

Liechtenstein……………………………………………………10

Ireland……………………………………………………………...12

Switzerland………………………………………………………14

Belgium…………………………………………………………….16

United States of America………………………………..18

Denmark………………………………………………………….20

Canada…………………………………………………………….22

Page 4

Seeking Knowledge...for Free!

Looking for Higher Education?

Adam Smith has made it very clear

in Book Five of the Wealth of Nations

that he wants free public education

for everyone regardless of their

financial situation. Germany, as of

2014, has made all of its state-

funded universities completely free

of charge. This applies not only to

the Germans, but also to foreigners. Anyone from anywhere in the world can

complete their higher education in Germany without any payment. Tuition fees

were looked down upon by many and were often criticized, even though they

were quite low compared to most other countries. All the students need to pay

is an administration fees to pay for public transport and to support Studenten-

werk. The latter provides special services to students in need.

Page 5

Adam Smith’s Rating (out of five):

Smith would surely commend the Germans for spreading knowledge and educa-

tion. Kudos to them!

G e r m a n y

A small problem...

The only problem most international

students face is the language barrier.

Having an understanding of the Ger-

man language is essential. Courses

can be taken to become acquainted

with the country’s culture. Some for-

eign students may find college life different because of a complete change in

culture. Regardless, German universities provide sophisticated education for

free. This offer surprisingly isn’t too good to be true. Higher public education is

in reality, free for all.

Page 6

Checking Up on Businesses

No More Monopolies

Tired of monopolies that re-

strict you from starting your

own business? Want to share

your fresh ideas with the

world? Well Saudi Arabia is

the place for you to start.

Saudi Arabia regulates com-

panies so that they do not

gain too much power and

become a monopoly. No single

person can hold the shares of the company as there is always a minimum set.

Be it a Joint Stock Company where you need a minimum of 5 shareholders or be

it a Limited Liability Company where you need a minimum of 2, companies are

always controlled by multiple owners..

Page 7

Adam Smith’s Rating (out of five stars):

Smith would certainly applaud Saudi Arabia for its excellent regulations, particu-

larly concerning the joint-stock companies. To him, a country that only compris-

es of private companies that work for their own benefit cause the mismanage-

ment and restricted trade. Excellent work, KSA!

S a u d i A r a b i a

Ensuring Competition for All!

The regulations on com-

panies in Saudi Arabia

ensure that there will

always be a good compe-

tition out in the field that

continue to affect the

quality and prices of

products within Saudi.

Limited Liability Compa-

nies set a maximum of 50 shareholders so that the companies continue to move

at a nice pace and are not slowed down by the many shareholders.

Page 8

The Land of Successful Businessmen

Setting Up A Business

Often times, it is very difficult to set

up a business--from legal systems

to heavy taxes, governments are

known to make it an arduous pro-

cess. If you are looking to set up a

successful business, fly over to the

small country of United Arab Emirates! Not only does the government see no

difference in levying taxes between foreign and local businesses, it ensures that

emerging businesses are not responsible for paying heavy taxes to the govern-

ment. In fact, to be part of a firm, one only has to report to the government in

four payments--spending only 12 hours in doing so! Furthermore, electronic

payment means no hassle in the form of paperwork--just fill out a form online

and voila! You are good to go.

Page 9

Adam Smith’s Rating (out of five stars):

The UAE provides such a simple way of setting up businesses, charging taxes

that are more than appropriate for the residents of the UAE. Adam Smith would

certainly agree with its system--not only is it efficient and beneficial for every-

one, the UAE’s taxing system allows the government to use the money in a posi-

tive manner, pouring it back into infrastructure projects and allowing the world

to behold the true wonder of a small country such as itself.

U n i t e d A r a b E m i r a t e s

How About Individuals?

However, businesses are not the only

ones that tend to benefit from UAE’s easy

taxation process. The government par-

dons individuals from paying any tax-

es...which means that even if you’re not a

citizen, you can benefit from this excel-

lent plan! None of your income will go

towards the UAE. Although there are a few taxes that the government enacts on

property, they are meant to systematically target those who the government is

aware are rich enough to pay for it. For example, property in the UAE is ex-

tremely expensive--thus, those who can afford it are very rich. This means that

small percentages of the earnings go to the government, but they are so

miniscule that they can be easily

disregarded. There is only a 2% tax

on the transfer of property, between

a 2% and 15% tax on property, and a

5% for rent--all imposed on those

that own property. Tourists do end

up paying a small tax, but they are for the payment of hotels and restaurants.

Page 10

Travel Anywhere, Anytime!

The Road to Ruggell

You are in Valduz, the capital

of Liechtenstein. As you step

off the bus, you take in the

well-paved roads and bridg-

es. You look at your map of

this beautiful German-

speaking country, and decide

to drive a rent-a-car to

Ruggell, all the way up north.

What you can see there, you don’t know. But it’s the northernmost municipality

and you want to enjoy the scenery. So you turn on Google Maps, and drive off to

your adventure.

You take the A13 (footnote: Google Maps). The pavement is smooth, clean. Your

car hardly makes a sound, and you take advantage of the silence to enjoy the

nature on either side of the road. Sweet, sweet Liechtenstein. You put my coun-

try to shame, with its hole-filled roads and road projects that have been going

on forever.

You notice that the main road branches out into other paths every few kilome-

ters or so. You wonder where those roads lead, and promise to follow every

single one of them. But first: Ruggell.

You see a sign on the road, and estimate that you’ll reach your destination in

about five minutes.

Page 11

Adam Smith’s Rating (out of five stars):

Liechtenstein's transportation services, offered by the government, would cer-

tainly appeal to Adam Smith. As part of the governmental public works, smooth

transportation for both tourists and officials would make trading simple. There

would be no hassle for private companies to build such roads. Hats off to Liech-

tenstein for a wonderful transportation network!

L i e c h t e n s t e i n

Thanks to the government...

Liechtenstein has a road network of

about 380 kilometers: 120 are main

roads maintained by the state, while

260 km are maintained by the eleven

municipalities. These roads are not only

used by locals, but also by travelers

from neighboring countries who use

them to travel cross-border. Liechten-

stein also has a public transport net-

work of buses that runs along the main

routes in the country. Trains are also available, with four stations run by the

Austrian Federal Railways connecting Liechtenstein to Switzerland and Austria.

Page 12

The Generous Government

Caring for Everyone

There is a stipulation that govern-

ments are something never care for

the everyone in the country, one

that Ireland defies. In this country,

there are advantages for the mass-

es and individuals, providing protec-

tion. This government does not have

self-interests and use their money

for the good of their country. Fortunately, in Ireland, no one needs to worry

about being neglected by the government. If you believe you are not getting

enough help, you will surely find a public works office near your house or in your

neighborhood to help you out 24/7 in this wonderful country.

Page 13

Adam Smith’s Rating (out of five stars):

Ireland’s public works system is to be commended. From a fantastic provision of

public services to institutes that are always open, Smith would appreciate the

efforts of the government to maintain public works which benefit society as a

whole. With its availability and variety of resources for citizens, Ireland has

proven itself worthy of Smith’s approval in this Top 10 list.

I r e l a n d

Anytime, anywhere!

It does not matter what

problem you are in, the OPW (Office Public Works),

is there for all kinds of troubles, from public ser-

vices, to floods or other sector problems. It does

not even matter what ethnicity, age or class you

are, they are always to help you. Not only do they

help you, but you have a chance to contribute to

their works through their charity events. Not only

do the charity events make your day amazing

through their arts and history, but they help poor kids gain education as educa-

tion in Ireland is required for everyone. They also help businessmen improve and

help newcomers with financial aid. It is an open and vast program that is there

to help everyone and every kind of person throughout the country so no one is

left behind. The best

thing is that their offices

are in every neighbor-

hood so as to provide

easy access to every

citizen in the country..

Page 14

Easy Come, Easy Go

Wonderful Infrastructure

Infrastructure consists of

the basic physical systems

of a country. These systems

include roads and utilities.

According to Smith an excel-

lent infrastructure is essential for a country to grow and prosper. Switzerland

is a country with one of the best infrastructures is the world. Its extensive and

well-developed transportation is world famous. Many people are familiar with its

complex road network. The Swiss trains are also known to be very comfortable

and efficient. The country’s safe tunnels and bridges make travel through even

the roughest terrain as easy as eating pie. Travel through the Alps especially, is

smooth and enjoyable. In the past it was difficult to travel between northern and

southern Europe due to the mountains. That is not longer an issue with the ex-

cellently engineered transportation system. The world’s longest automobile

tunnel, Saint Gotthard Road Tunnel, is located in Switzerland.

A Must-Take Trip

The Swiss Federal Railways operate around 5000km of tracks, most of which

are electrical. Train stations are accessible in most locations in Switzerland,

making train travel an essential part of life there. The country has Europe’s

highest train station, Jungfraujoch, at 3455

m. Even with natural barriers, Switzerland is

known for the punctuality of its train service.

Every visitor should travel on the scenic train

route.

Page 15

Adam Smith’s Rating:

With such a great infrastructure, it is safe to say that Smith would applaud Swit-

zerland’s efforts to create a wonderful country.

S w i t z e r l a n d

A Widespread System

The highway system is also very widespread with the roads totaling more than

71011 km. The extensive bus system

across the country is known to be

punctual. Waterways are also

used for commercial purposes. Its

lakes are very popular for cruises.

The modern marine network with

about 30 ocean-going vessels

based abroad carries out river cargo services via the Rhine River. The port of

Basel is a major trading hub with well-organized connections between rail, road,

and water routes. The country also has a large resource of hydroelectric power

in the Alpine Rivers flowing down from glaciers.

Page 16

Educating Everyone

A Priceless Education

Tired of splitting up money and

putting it aside for your chil-

dren’s education? Well worry no

more, and escape to Belgium

where your child’s education

needs are regarded for. Belgium

offers each child free education during their pre-education and primary school

years. Not only that, but the secondary school years are almost free too, with

you only spending money from your pockets for textbooks.

A High School Attendance

Did you know that Belgium has one of the highest school attendances in all of

Europe? At the age of 5 almost 99% of all children in Belgium are enrolled in

school. The conditions set within the school environment are great, with teach-

ers and parents both helping to make a fun, healthy learning experience.

Page 17

Adam Smith’s Rating (out of five stars):

Due to Belgium’s willingness to educate its youth from an early age, Smith would

agree that this is one of the most beneficial governments in the world. It sup-

ports his theory that only basic education is needed, while attending to the pop-

ulation of Belgium. Good job, Belgium!

B e l g i u m

Long-Term Benefits!

Although secondary

school years do not

come for free, the suc-

cess rates of student

that graduate is high.

The rigorous study leads

to diplomas that are

accepted by universities

all around the world, allowing for your students to have a successful experience

in going abroad.

Page 18

Forever Safe, Forever Mine

Solving a Major Issue

One of the biggest issues that the

world faces today is security--and

if you’re looking for a place where

no such threat exists, move to the

USA! Known for its gargantuan

military, the USA provides all of

its citizens with a reassurance of

safety. Never again will you have

to worry about your children going outside on their own or having to raise them

in a war-torn country. The USA government promises that their military will

keep out any invaders, keeping you and your family safe.

Page 19

Adam Smith’s Rating (out of five stars):

From Smith’s point of view, such a country has gone beyond and above expecta-

tions, providing its citizens with what he clearly believes is the “first duty of the

state.” Every country should endeavour to provide security, first and foremost,

Smith says. The United States of America is not a country to contest with, a fact

and matter that Smith would thoroughly applaud, had he been alive today.

U n i t e d S t a t e s o f A m e r i c a

Impressive Technology and Friends

With the largest military budget in

the world, comprising of $680 billion

dollars, the US government has

portrayed itself as the most defen-

sive country in the world. In fact, the

last time that the US was attacked

on home soil was against Pancho Villa in the late 19th century. Since then, the US

has experienced tranquility in terms of foreign invaders--no one dares attack

the country who, at the snap of their fingers, are able to fully conquer a country

with the most advanced military weapons in the world. From Ford-class Aircraft

Carriers to Virginia Class submarines, not only does the US have the most varie-

ty of weapons, it also ensures that its military can deal with several territories.

Page 20

Legal System and Property Rights

One of the Best

The southernmost Scandina-

vian country brings to mind a

colorful Viking history amidst

a natural landscape of rolling

plains and sandy coastlines.

Composed of a peninsula and

443 islands, of which 72 are

inhabited, Denmark has a reputation of being one of the least corrupt countries

in the world. The Danes have a very high degree of trust in other people and in

the system, which is one of the reasons why the Danish legal system is the best

in the world (WJP Rule of Law Index 2014).

Absence of Corruption

Transparency is a common theme in Denmark. It is especially prevalent among

public and private institutions, which are required by law to publicly report on

such matters as tax information to ensure that they comply with anti-corruption

laws. Some companies employ “whistle-blower” systems. These systems allow a

person to anonymously report any instance of corruption or malpractice to the

public. Thus, no company or politician is safe from

the powers of the justice system: they can and will

be held responsible for any act of corruption.

(Especially because the media is watching with hawk

-like eyes and will report everything to the public).

Page 21

Adam Smith’s Rating:

With such a flawless justice system, who is to deny that Denmark definitely

needs to be on this list? Smith would definitely agree that it has enabled peace

within the country, as well.

D e n m a r k

Property Rights

Article 73 of the Constitution of Denmark states that property rights are inviola-

ble - that is, when a person owns property, his property rights are protected by

law. ‘Property’ is not limited to land and can include copyright (art, music, et

cetera), trademark, designs, and intellectual property rights. The law will also

not force you to surrender your property, unless it poses a threat to the public.

Pretend that you are a lender and you have just lent money to a person so that

he can purchase a house. How do you ensure that the person will pay you back?

The Danish land registry keeps track of purchased property, mortgages, bank-

ruptcies - basically anything that has to do with land property. Everything that is

registered at the land registry is easily accessible online. So once the person

you lent money to registers the house, the deal between the two of you becomes

valid. You can rest assured that you are protected against the borrower. So

don’t panic if your property (like, your bike) gets stolen in Denmark. Fines and

prison sentences are in

place to ensure that

transgressors get pun-

ished. Prison times can

range from seven days to

lifetime imprisonment.

Page 22

Personal Property Protectors

Your Property Will Always Be Safe

Having the fear of your property

being taken away is a great threat

to your security and personal

rights. Countries around the world

have failed to carry out this simple

task of giving the people their free-

dom of owning and using their prop-

erty freely. This problem however

does not and never will arrive if you fly to Canada. The country not only ensures

that you are safe, but ensures that your property is too from people that can

potentially take it away from you.

Page 23

Adam Smith’s Rating:

Canada’s long history of tranquility and peace is very notable. Not only has it

ensured that there are no foreign invaders, domestic problems are quickly elim-

inated, as well. Measures are always taken to ensure private property is pro-

tected by the government. Smith would certainly appreciate this country’s ex-

cellent work. Congratulations, Canada!

C a n a d a

A Lustrous History

Canada has a long reputation of a gov-

ernment that has successfully fought

corruption and have succeeded in elimi-

nating it. Your property will be protect-

ed by both the common laws and the

statute laws, so no longer will you have

to fear any threats for your property.

Not only will you have property rights,

but Canada gives its people freedom so that you do not feel dissatisfied with

your life. Never will you be robbed of your freedom of speech or freedom of land

here in Canada. So if you are looking to escape your country and come and live

the life you want, head over to Canada today!

Check out these sites!

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/five-american-weapons-war-china-should-fear-10466?page=2

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BUDGET-2009-BUD/pdf/BUDGET-2009-BUD-11.pdf

http://www.lw.com/upload/pubcontent/_pdf/pub3507_1.pdf

http://belgium.angloinfo.com/family/eu-factsheets-family/educational-system-eu/

http://www.expatica.com/be/education/schools/Education-in-Belgium_100088.html

https://en.santandertrade.com/establish-overseas/united-arab-emirates/tax-system

http://www.icaew.com/en/library/subject-gateways/tax/tax-by-country/united-arab-emirates

http://worldjusticeproject.org/blog/index-data-spotlight-impunity-part-1

http://worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/WJP_Index_Report_2012.pdf

http://www.opw.ie/en/opwpublications/

http://www.heritage.org/index/ranking

http://www.countriesquest.com/europe/switzerland/economy/infrastructure/transportation.htm

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Europe/Switzerland-INFRASTRUCTURE-POWER-AND-

COMMUNICATIONS.html

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/10/10/

germany_college_is_free_there_even_for_foreign_students_why.html

http://www.internations.org/germany-expats/guide/15985-family-children-education/universities-in-

germany-15993/studying-in-germany-how-it-works-2

http://propertyrightsguide.ca/are-property-rights-protected-in-canadian-law/

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/property-law/