With regard to political and civil freedoms, Latvia is 1. Citizens in Latvia experience total freedom. The majority of countries in which citizens enjoy expansive civil liberties and political freedoms are representative democracies, in which officials are directly elected by citizens to advocate for their needs and desires. Free countries are often bolstered by healthy economies and high-functioning governments. The businesses of Latvia are 3 in terms of economic liberty. Citizens in Latvia are considered moderately free with regards to their economic decisions. The government in this country exerts noticeable control over businesses and other economic activities. Citizens may own property and control certain financial decisions, but in many cases the government can take control over private property for state needs. In terms of journalistic freedom, the media of Latvia is in a 2. In Latvia, while journalists are allowed to express a variety of opinions, they are only permitted to publish those that do not oppose government or state ideology. The government in this country may have its own state-sponsored publications to further their ideas and beliefs. This is considered to be a problematic situation.