Section 5 - Economic development Flashcards
What is human development index
a measure of living standards which takes into account income, education and life expectancy
What is genuine progress indicator
a measure of living standards which takes into account a variety of indicators including income, leisure time, distribution of income and environmental standards
What are the different indicators that can be used to assess the living standard in a country
-Number of people that own given consumer goods i.e cars, laptops or mobile phones
-Number of patients per doctor
-Enrollment in tertiary education
-Adult literacy rate
GDP per head
An increase in real GDP per head would suggest
that living standards have risen
Why does increase in real GDP not necessarily increase living standards
- Real GDP is an average
- Not everyone may benefit from a rise in average income
- Income may be unevenly spread with few receiving much higher income and some not receiving any
- An increase in output and consumption of demerit goods can reduce the quality of people’s health and life expectancy
- Higher crime rate won’t improve living standards
What does HDI do differently to Real GDP per head
It takes into account a wider measure like life expectancy and education
What factor does HDI not take into account
political freedom
environment
What is the Gender inequality index
a measure of gender inequalities in terms of reproductive health, empowerment and labour market participating
What is the happy life expectancy index
an index which multiplies life expectancy by a happiness index
What is gross national happiness
a measure of living standards which includes a wide number of indicators including income, psychological wellbeing, education and ecological diversity
What are the causes of differences in living standards and income in countries
income: can be unevenly distributed between households
wealth: unevenly disturbed because differences in assets inherited by people, their saving and entrepreneurial skills
education: those with higher degrees will have more success in being high skilled workers than those with lower degrees
healthcare systems: Those with access to healthcare will benefit more than those without and suffering from conditions
levels of pollution: Pollution can affect people’s health and wellbeing
working hours: more working hours will mean more income for households
What is absolute poverty
A condition where people’s income is too low to enable them to meet their basic necessities i.e food, clothing, shelter and healthcare
What is relative poverty
A condition where people are poor in comparison to others in the country. Their income is too low to enable them to enjoy the average standard of living in their country
What are the causes of poverty
Being unemployed
Being in low-paid work
Falling ill and growing old
What is the vicious circle of poverty
certain groups of people can be trapped in poverty as poorer people will likely have lower education and healthcare reducing productivity and employment opportunities, this can also affect their children which will create a cycle
What is the multidimensional poverty index
a measure of poverty based on deprivations in education, health and standard of living
What are the possible government policy measures to reduce poverty
Improving the quantity and quality of education
Promoting economic growth
Introducing or raising a national minimum wage
Encouraging more multinational companies to set up in the country
Providing benefits or more generous state benefits
Land reforms
why does improving the quantity and quality of education help reduce poverty
It can increase job prospect and earning potential of the poor and their children
why does promoting economic growth help reduce poverty
increasing government expenditure or reducing rate of interest will increase aggregate demand. It can increase output and create jobs reducing unemployment which is a major factor of poverty
why does introducing or raising a national minimum wage reduce poverty
it tackles the problem of people experiencing low living standards due to low wages
Why does encouraging more multinational companies to set up in the country reduce poverty
the opening up of new firms in a country will create more jobs and employment opppurtinities
Why does providing benefits or more generous state benefits help reduce poverty
the elderly, sick and disabled might not be able to work and have enough savings to support them. Giving benefits may help them avoid absolute poverty