There is wide consensus that the ultimate objective of government policies is to improve the quality of people's lives. The reality, however, is that the impact of government policies tends to be measured rather in terms of GDP growth as proxy for progress. The debate about growth vs. development is not new as the distinction between these concepts was recognized since the 1970s. GDP growth has often been understood in terms of improvement in the quality of life. However, further research is indicating that inequality affects sustainable growth (Berg and Ostry 2011), which in turn reduces the ability to improve the quality of life. This is the case of many OECD nations where household income of the richest segment grew faster than that of the poorest (OECD 2011a). Thus, the redistribution of income and wealth should not be regarded as a substitute but a complement to economic growth (Mat Zin 2008).
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There is wide consensus that the ultimate objective of government policies is to improve the quality of people's lives. The reality, however, is that the impact of government policies tends to be measured rather in terms of GDP growth as proxy for progress. The debate about growth vs. development is not new as the distinction between these concepts was recognized since the 1970s. GDP growth has often been understood in terms of improvement in the quality of life. However, further research is indicating that inequality affects sustainable growth (Berg and Ostry 2011), which in turn reduces the ability to improve the quality of life. This is the case of many OECD nations where household income of the richest segment grew faster than that of the poorest (OECD 2011a). Thus, the redistribution of income and wealth should not be regarded as a substitute but a complement to economic growth (Mat Zin 2008).
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