A. In his initial TED Talk, Romer argued that high income countries with strong institutions could administer charter cities in low-income countries. While we think Romer’s insight about the ability of new cities with new rules to alleviate poverty is valuable, we believe this approach is neither desirable nor politically feasible. Instead, we work with host countries and local new city developers to create charter cities that are governed locally, rather than by a different country. Charter cities are not sovereign entities—they are subject to the criminal law, constitution, international treaties, and any other host country laws or institutions stipulated in the country’s charter city legislation or concession agreements.