GNP and welfare
Course Learning Outcome: Formulate a whole system approach to the human subsystem structure and function.
Sub-Module Outcome: Assess the effectiveness of GNP and its alternatives as measures of economic welfare.
Activities:
- Read material on GNP and welfare.
- Project work: Read material on evaluating objectives.
- Audio: Listen to lecture excerpt on GNP as a cost.
- Integrative Project work: Identify 3 issues related to your project that affect GNP and 3 issues related to your projects that affect human welfare but have no impact on GNP. Do the activities that affect GNP do so appropriately (i.e. does an increase in GNP correspond to an increase in human welfare)? How does society’s goal of continually increasing GNP affect the decision making process about issues relevant to your project? Now describe how one of the alternative mechanisms we’ve studied would address the shortcomings of these activities, or suggest an alternative accounting system that do so. (One page paper)
- Project work: Create a list of knowledge and skills required to address your problem.
Self Check: You should be able to answer the following questions after finishing this module
- What does GNP measure?
- What are the shortcomings of GNP as a measure of economic welfare? Of total welfare?
- What are basic human needs?
- What alternative measures of economic welfare or total welfare exist, and how do they improve on GNP?
