Taking the First Steps beyond GDP: Maryland’s Experience in Measuring “Genuine Progress”

Abstract

Gross Domestic Product's (GDP) limitations as a prosperity indicator are now widely recognized, leading to a search for "beyond-GDP" alternatives. The US state of Maryland has calculated one such alternative, the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), since 2010. What effect is Maryland's GPI having in practice? Is there any evidence to date that the GPI has shaped policy and public priorities in ways that live up to its supporters' hopes-whether for a transformative shift beyond the economic-growth paradigm or simply better policymaking? What key obstacles exist to fulfilling those goals? This article draws on semi-structured interviews with elite respondents-including Maryland's former governor, senior public servants, academics, non-governmental organization employees and foundation leaders-involved in producing, advocating and using the GPI, along with analysis of relevant documents. Although significant impacts on policy are not yet evident and a change of governor has removed high-level support, the GPI initiative has revealed innovative possibilities for more environmentally and socially minded policymaking and introduced new ideas with potential long-term impacts. However, various challenges remain, including strengthening the political constituency behind the GPI, more deeply embedding it into the policymaking process and addressing the GPI's own limitations in supporting a beyond-GDP economic narrative.

Education for Sustainable Development: Emerging Themes from Adopters of a Declaration

“…The research design involved a subjective ontology in a qualitative, interpretive epistemological framework. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews garnered empirical data consistent with other qualitative studies in the sustainability literature [35,36]. Based upon the review of signatory websites in Australia, the elements of the Declaration the signified universities are choosing to highlight were identified, which were used to design a semi-structured interview template.…”

Measuring what matters and guiding policy: An evaluation of the Genuine Progress Indicator

“…Similar obstacles are highlighted by Hayden and Wilson (2018). They examined the experience of the US state of Maryland, where the GPI was adopted as a state indicator alongside the gross state product (GSP) in 2010.…”

“…Other than the HDI, the use of beyond-GDP measures (and the sustainability indicators introduced since 1992) to shape policy appears to be limited (Hayden and Wilson, 2016). The latest beyond-GDP assessment by Stiglitz, Fitoussi and Durand (2018) reports that some OECD countries have begun looking into using well-being metrics in their policy processes.…”

Mesurer ce qui importe et éclairer l'action: l'indicateur de progrès véritable au banc d'essai

“…Hormis l'indice de développement humain, l'utilisation en vue d'orienter les politiques des indicateurs allant au-delà du PIB, ainsi que des indicateurs de durabilité introduits depuis 1992, est resté limitée, si l'on excepte l'indice de développement humain (Hayden et Wilson, 2016). La dernière évaluation de ces indicateurs, effectuée par Stiglitz, Fitoussi et Durand (2018), fait apparaître que certains pays de l'OCDE ont commencé à envisager l'utilisation de mesures du bien-être dans leur processus de décision politique.…”

“…Des obstacles du même ordre sont signalés par Hayden et Wilson (2018). Ils ont étudié l'expérience de l'État du Maryland, aux États-Unis, où l'IPV a été adopté en 2010 comme indicateur à côté du produit brut de l'État (PBE).…”