Suggested Exercise 17.4

The Social Progress Index (SPI) provides a holistic measure of quality of life by capturing social and environmental factors for countries (see Box 17.4 in the text). View the SPI scorecard for the highest-ranking country.

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Write a brief response to the following questions: What are the reasons for the high score? How do the component scores compare with your own country? What are some practical solutions that could improve your own country’s ranking? Meet with a partner to share your responses.