EconTalk: Open for Business...in 230 Days, by Amy Willis

How many steps would you have to go through if you wanted to open a new business in the United States? How about India? Venezuela? The difference might be important to more than just you...And that's what this week's episode of EconTalk, filmed before a live audience as part of the Atlas Network's Liberty Forum, was all about.

Host Russ Roberts welcomed the founder of the World Bank's Doing Business Report, Simeon Djankov (who also took a turn as the Minister of Finance for Bulgaria) and Atlas Network COO Matt Warner. Djankov's work in measuring the regulatory burden on business across the world's countries was the focus of much of the conversation, though an interesting turn toward the role of think tanks occurred toward the end.

Now we'd like to hear your thoughts on the conversation. Respond to the prompts here in the Comments, or pose your own questions for thought. We'd love to continue the conversation.

1. Naturally, Roberts is skeptical of the reliability of the Doing Business Report (DBR) measurement practices. What does he mean when he says he fears that some nations might "teach to the test?" To what extent is this concern valid?