Rich-Poor Gap
How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor? [Challenge 7]

-- Indicators --

 1. Measurements of the economic gap between rich and poor
 2. Percentage of people completing various level of education
 3. Level of foreign aid, the nature of aid programs, and assessment of the consequences on poverty
 4. The extent of charitable giving and volunteerism by individuals and corporations, where that giving is not tied to
     expectations of business return.
 5. Number of foreign owned companies
 6. Strength (e.g. membership and power) of trade union movements
 7. Employment and unemployment statistics
 8. Social Security policies and politics
 9. Production and consumption of ethically produced products
10. Number of companies that pass an “ethics screen”
11. Measurement of levels of corruption in government and society
12. Percentage of middle class
13. Tax policies and the degree to which they are followed
14. Extent of training in conflict resolution and ethics being provided in schools, government, business, etc.
15. Extent and effectiveness of training programs designed to teach entrepreneurial skills
16. Spread of employee ownership plans
17. Number of share holders and the strata of the population they represent
18. Assessment of new mechanisms for reducing third world debt
19. Measurement of the extent and importance of currency speculation
20. Combined indicators of rates of internal saving, investment, internal consumption, exports, cost of living
21. Migration statistics
22. Magnitude of government expenditure on welfare programs (e.g. labor market intervention and health care)
 

The indicators most highly rated as per their usefulness and availability were:
[The numbers in brackets represent the order number of the indicator in the original (above) list.]

1. Employment and unemployment statistics (7)
2. Percentage of people completing various level of education (2)
3. Measurements of the economic gap between rich and poor (1)
4. Magnitude of government expenditure on welfare programs (e.g. labor market intervention and health care) (22)
5. Migration statistics (21)
6. Combined indicators of rates of internal saving, investment, internal consumption, exports, cost of living (20)

• Short overview
• Suggested Actions
• Regional Views
• Detailed discussion on this challenge in the 2001 State of the Future