The Contested Meanings of Development

Development is one of the most powerful yet slippery concepts in Global Politics. Everyone claims to want it, but almost no one agrees on what it actually is. At its simplest, development refers to the process by which a society improves the material and social conditions of its people. The disagreement begins the moment we try to specify what "improvement" means, who decides, and whose values are used to judge success. Because development shapes trillions of dollars in spending, aid, trade rules, and national ambition, its definition is a deeply political question rather than a neutral technical one.

The oldest and still most influential view equates development with economic growth. On this account, a country develops when it produces more goods and services, measured as rising Gross Dom