Abstract
The resource-infrastructure-environment (RIE) index was proposed as an alternative measure of progress which was then employed
to: (1) compare the aggregate (single summary) index findings between Australia (mid-industrialised nation), Mexico (emerging
economy), and the US (highly industrialised nation); and (2) compare the RIE index against the gross domestic product (GDP),
human development index (HDI) and genuine savings (GS) measure. This paper builds on the previous work by assessing the seven
themes and 21 dimensions which comprise the RIE index for the three aforementioned nations, as well as the associated policy
implications. The results identified Australia’s strength in the human resource and infrastructure themes. For Mexico, strong
contributions came from the natural and generated resource themes as well as the physical environment theme, while the US
performed strongly in the infrastructure themes. The comparative results of the US and Mexico illustrated that it is possible
to achieve high levels of progress without an excessive reliance on high levels of production and income.
to: (1) compare the aggregate (single summary) index findings between Australia (mid-industrialised nation), Mexico (emerging
economy), and the US (highly industrialised nation); and (2) compare the RIE index against the gross domestic product (GDP),
human development index (HDI) and genuine savings (GS) measure. This paper builds on the previous work by assessing the seven
themes and 21 dimensions which comprise the RIE index for the three aforementioned nations, as well as the associated policy
implications. The results identified Australia’s strength in the human resource and infrastructure themes. For Mexico, strong
contributions came from the natural and generated resource themes as well as the physical environment theme, while the US
performed strongly in the infrastructure themes. The comparative results of the US and Mexico illustrated that it is possible
to achieve high levels of progress without an excessive reliance on high levels of production and income.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-24
- DOI 10.1007/s11205-011-9914-6
- Authors
- Riccardo Natoli, Financial Education Research Unit, School of Accounting and Finance, Victoria University, 300 Flinders Street, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Segu Zuhair, School of Accounting and Finance, Victoria University, 300 Flinders Street, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Journal Social Indicators Research
- Online ISSN 1573-0921
- Print ISSN 0303-8300