What is ALEC's Definition of a Free Market?

Every organization  is founded on a basic principle(s).  The main tenet of ALEC - spouted over and over and over again is that of the "free market".  But I think we really need to start questioning - what do they men when they speak of the "free market".  Really - what is their definition?  We need to know - the ALEC definition isn't published anywhere - it is just referred to by ALEC as a tenet of the organization.

It is important to point out that Weyrich was a strong believer in the the economic philosophies of Hayek, Mises, and Friedman.  In fact, Freidman is responsible for the utter collapse of the Chilean economy and destabilization of their society using the implementation of free market philosophy and thinking under dictator Pinochet..

So knowing that very quick snip of economic history, I present you with one of many definitions that you will find of “the free market” this one from an article posted at the Mises Institute.  THE cornerstone of the definition that I believe may be the ALEC philosophy.

Mises Institute

The Ludwig von Mises Institute, founded in 1982 by Llewellyn Rockwell Jr. and still headed by him, is a major center promoting libertarian political theory and the Austrian School of free market economics, pioneered by the late economist Ludwig von Mises.

Thus, we can define a "free market" as a social system based on the voluntary exchange of property rights.

"the voluntary exchange of property rights"

Walmart – 2005 – While they were still an ALEC member (and I think they still are).
PLEASE take the 10 minutes needed to watch this (there is a part 2 on Democracy Now webpage)

The Bribery Aisle: How Wal-Mart Used Payoffs to Bribe Its Way Through Expansion in Mexico

"the voluntary exchange of property rights"

The definition above doesn’t specifically detail how the “voluntary exchange of property rights” occurs - or what might be the defining limits of a "voluntary exchange".

You have to agree that BRIBERY is “voluntary exchange of property rights”.

And then you need to ask yourself – how many times has this happened in the US?

IF this is THE basis/cornerstone for definition of "free market" used by the American Legislative Exchange Council, their organization is no better than a common street gang.