With the Green Prosperity Report of the Bundestag faction of Bündnis90 / Die Grünen , a system of eight measured variables is presented, with which the annual economic report is to be supplemented. The work was first published in 2016 and is intended to make it possible to assess the impact of the federal government's political work on an annual basis. The political term Annual Prosperity Report is also used.
In its final report in 2013, the Enquete Commission on Growth, Prosperity, Quality of Life proposed a new measure of prosperity that should supplement the annual economic report . The federal government wants to finally evaluate the results of this study commission as part of the government strategy “Living well in Germany” and to present a new system of indicators for measuring the quality of life by mid-2016 . The Bundestag parliamentary group of Bündnis90 / Die Grünen has submitted its own proposal for a prosperity measurement after its small inquiry in the Bundestag and a feasibility study , which takes up the proposal of the study commission. The proposal for a National Welfare Index also goes back to the authors of the Green Wealth Report, Hans Diefenbacher and Roland Zieschank . Parallel to the Greens, the think tank Denkwerk Demokratie has updated its proposal for a magic square from 2013. In Switzerland, an indicator system for measuring welfare was introduced back in 2014 , which largely coincides with the objectives of the Green Welfare Report.
Indicators
Each of the eight indicators is presented in a time series along with a detailed description. In addition, the current status is indicated by a traffic light and the trend is symbolized by an arrow. All eight indicators are then summarized in a "cockpit". Recommendations are also given for each of the key figures.
The authors characterize the indicator of biodiversity and landscape quality as a “high-end” index, because “in the end, almost all human activities are noticeable in the area of biodiversity ”.
3 Distribution of Income
An S 80: S 20 ratio of income distribution is measured, that is, the total income of the richest 20% of the population is compared to the total income of the 20% of the poorest population.
4 education
The educational qualifications of the population aged between 30 and 35 are measured . The age restriction was chosen because the educational path is largely completed by the age of 30–35.
5 National Welfare Index
The National Welfare Index , which the two authors of the study have been publishing for many years, is also compared with the gross domestic product (GDP) for information purposes.
6 environmental protection goods
The proportion of potential environmental protection goods in exports is measured . Environmental protection goods are products such as wind turbines or photovoltaic systems, which are usually (therefore “potentially”) used in such a way that they have a positive effect on the environment. With the measurement of exports , the economic performance of the economy in this future market should be measured at the same time.
7 life satisfaction
Average life satisfaction is measured on the basis of surveys available from the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW). The authors' attitude to this key figure is ambivalent. On the one hand, it is seen as important to point out that traditional economic growth no longer contributes to an increase in personal well-being from a certain income level (see Easterlin Paradox ). On the other hand, personal well-being is fed by very different sources and therefore cannot be used as a yardstick for measuring the quality of the political action of a government. But that's exactly what the prosperity report is supposed to measure.
8 Quality of Governance
Governance is defined as “... the traditions and institutions with which a country's government and authorities are endowed. This includes: (a) the [democratic] process of how governments are elected, controlled and exchanged, (b) the ability of the government to formulate and implement sound policies, and (c) the trust of citizens and the state in the institutions , who shape economic and social cooperation. "
Summary
The study comments: "Germany is making a significant contribution to the fact that future compliance with the planetary ecological limits is at risk." In addition, she sees potential for political action "in the area of economic innovation and the export of environmental protection goods." "Particularly strong, also in international comparison" the unequal distribution of income in Germany has increased. Some of the other indicators do significantly better and attest to the high German level.
