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Promoting Millennium Development Ideals: The Risks of Defining Development Down

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  • Lant Pritchett

    (Center for International Development at Harvard University)

  • Charles Kenny

Abstract

The approach of 2015, the target date of the Millennium Development Goals, sets the stage for a global reengagement on the question of "what is development?" We argue that the post-2015 development framework for development should include Millennium Development Ideals which put into measurable form the high aspirations countries have for the well-being of their citizens. Standing alone, low bar targets like the existing Millennium Development Goals "define development down" and put at risk both domestic and global coalitions to support to an inclusive development agenda. Measuring development progress exclusively by low bar targets creates the illusion that specific targeted programs can be an adequate substitute for a broad national and global development agenda.

Suggested Citation

  • Lant Pritchett & Charles Kenny, 2013. "Promoting Millennium Development Ideals: The Risks of Defining Development Down," Growth Lab Working Papers 48, Harvard's Growth Lab.
    • Handle: RePEc:glh:wpfacu:48
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    File URL: https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/sites/projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/growthlab/files/cid_working_paper_265.pdf
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    2. Pritchett, Lant, 2022. "National development delivers: And how! And how?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    3. Gibson Meira Oliveira & André Gustavo Carvalho Machado, 2017. "Dynamic of Innovation in Services for Consumers at the Bottom of the Pyramid," Brazilian Business Review, Fucape Business School, vol. 14(6), pages 609-623, November.
    4. Alastair Greig & Mark Turner, 2024. "Policy and hope: The millennium development goals," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 15(1), pages 66-77, February.
    5. Lant Pritchett, Marla Spivack, 2013. "Estimating Income/Expenditure Differences across Populations: New Fun with Old Engel's Law-Working Paper 339," Working Papers 339, Center for Global Development.
    6. Pritchett, Lant & Sandefur, Justin, 2020. "Girls’ schooling and women’s literacy: schooling targets alone won’t reach learning goals," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    7. Sergio Tezanos Vázquez & Andy Sumner, 2016. "Is the ‘Developing World’ Changing? A Dynamic and Multidimensional Taxonomy of Developing Countries," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 28(5), pages 847-874, November.
    8. Lant Pritchett & Martina Viarengo, 2025. "Raising the Bar: A Poverty Line for Global Inclusion," Growth Lab Working Papers 250, Harvard's Growth Lab.
    9. Lant Pritchett & Lawrence H. Summers, 2014. "Asiaphoria Meets Regression to the Mean," NBER Working Papers 20573, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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