Professors Michael Porter from Harvard Business School and Scott Stern from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say that that models of economic growth alone are incomplete and misleading. They have developed a Social Progress index, ranking 133 countries in three main categories, indepentently from GDP: Basic Human Needs (food, water, shelter and safety), Foundations of Well-being (basic education, information, health and a sustainable environment, and Opportunity (freedom of choice and from discrimination, and access to higher education).
What the Index looks at is as follows: does a country provide for its people’s essential needs, is well-being sustainable, and is there opportunity for all individuals to reach their full potential? It is similar to the idea of Gross National Happiness, but it is claimed that this idea is more accurately quantified. Norway, Sweden and Switzerland take the top places , the UK comes a respectable number 11, surprisingly beating France and Germany.
Porter, to the embarrassment, I’m sure, of many, compares the US with Rwanda, which went through a horrible genocide and the collapse of society. Helped by a positive national consensus Rwanda has since reduced child mortality by 61% in a decade, got 95% of children into primary schools, and has a majority of women in parliament, among other things. In comparison, the US comes 45th in access to basic knowledge, 68th in health and wellness, 30th in personal safety, and 74th in ecosystem sustainability. (Information from Harvard magazine).
For America it wasn’t always like this. But the long-running Republican rebellion against the Roosevelt civilised, liberal reforms, a reliance upon corporations for money and for spurring economic growth, and a growing hatred for entitlements, has divided the country down the middle, slowly undermining the happier and vibrant country I encountered when traveling the length and breadth of it in 1963. I mourn for those days 50 years ago as much as any born-American. Attitudes are unhealthily set and decline obvious to any resident. I wish it were not so.
For those who want access to the full results, http://www.socialprogressimperative.org/data/spi#data_table/countries/spi/dim1,dim2,dim3
Interestingly, the ranking where America does worst is ‘Ecosystem Sustainability.’ This doesn’t surprise me at all, though it may improve due to Obama’s 50 MPG standard for cars and the vetoing of the Keystone Pipeline. But the reason why America does so badly at this is because since WW2, the country has instigated massive suburban developments. These increase car dependence and energy consumption. Although they look nice, and I understand the luxury of a spacious house, but urban sprawl is inefficient, destroys the environment, and makes commuting longer and getting around more inconvenient. Its also rather boring.
Another area where America does badly on is ‘tolerance and inclusion.’ To an extent, I think America is a tolerant and inclusive society because it welcomes immigrants from all over the world, and many of them do extremely well- such as the Jews, the Germans, the Indians and the Cubans. But despite the Obama presidency, America still has work to do in terms of making sure everyone is equal.