If government contracts are awarded through personal connections, and access to education depends on quotas set by political negotiation rather than merit, then a country is "choosing to be poor."
波特舉例，如果民眾經商、受教育是要靠關係、靠請託、靠各式各樣的政治協商等，而不能惟競爭力是問，那不啻是「選擇一個窮國之路」。