[SSC] project work

[john andrews]

I've just about finished reading a study called "Mismeasuring Our Lives". It's a report by the internationally acclaimed economists Stiglitz, Sen and Fitoussi, two of whom are Nobel Prize winners. I read the hard copy version which is in book format and includes an introduction by Nicolas Sarkozy. Sarkozy's contribution is actually quite interesting, for he includes the following observations:

 

"All over the world, people believe they are being lied to, that the figures are false, that they are being manipulated... And there are good reasons for their feeling this way."

 

"In the comments on the commission's work that Joseph Stiglitz, Amartya Sen, and Jean-Paul Fitoussi sent me, I noted this sentence: 'One of the reasons that most people may perceive themselves as being worse off even though average GDP is increasing is because they are indeed worse off.' The fact that some of our most prestigious economists are saying this so frankly was absolutely indispensable in order for us to get things clear in our own minds, to put the public debate back on a foundation of truth, and to change our relationship with the truth."

 

In my view this study is an excellent and important piece of work, and is also very readable. It can be read here (but this version doesn't include the Sarkozy introduction):

 

http://www.stiglitz-sen-fitoussi.fr/documents/rapport_anglais.pdf

 

If anyone is seeking inspiration for potential SSC project work I would suggest that this study offers a treasure trove of possibilities.



john
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.aktivix.org/pipermail/ssc/attachments/20120704/826100bb/attachment.html>