No Small Hope
This book argues in favor of an approach to global policy priorities that emphasizes the attempt to put a minimal set of basic goods and services into the hands of everyone. This universal provision of basic goods and services includes nutritious food, clean water, sanitation, health services, education services, housing, electricity, and human security services. The book argues that this policy focus is appropriate both for practical and ethical reasons, but that success in this provision will not be easy and therefore is no small hope. Basic goods and services meet central and objective human needs. The basic goods approach tries to form a bridge between the standard growth perspective on development and the capabilities/human development perspective. What really matters about growth is the possibility that growth will lead to an increase in the broad-based provision of basic goods and services, an outcome that is not always guaranteed. The hoped-for expansion of human capabilities and development is predicated on this expanded provision of basic goods, and the expanded provision of basic goods and services also can promote growth. In these ways, basic goods and services are critical link between growth and human development. The book explores each of the identified basic goods and services, the basic rights to them, and the many challenges to be overcome in their expanded provision.