The Measure of America: American Human Development Report, 2008-2009

Sarah Burd-Sharps; Kristen Lewis; Eduardo Martins

Published by Columbia University Press 2008

The Measure of America

American Human Development Report, 2008-2009

Sarah Burd-Sharps , Kristen Lewis and Eduardo Martins
Preface by: Amartya Sen and William Draper III

In the series A Columbia / SSRC Book

https://doi.org/10.7312/burd15494

Overview
Contents

About this book

The Measure of America is the first-ever human development report for a wealthy, developed nation. It introduces the American Human Development Index, which provides a single measure of well-being for all Americans, disaggregated by state and congressional district, as well as by gender, race, and ethnicity. The Index rankings of the 50 states and 436 congressional districts reveal huge disparities in the health, education, and living standards of different groups. Clear, precise, objective, and authoritative, this report will become the basis for all serious discussions concerning the realization of a fair, just, and globally competitive American society.

Author / Editor information

Sarah Burd-Sharps served as the deputy director of UNDP's Human Development Report Office until September 2006.

Kristen Lewis was a lead author of the water and sanitation report of the U.N. Millennium Project, led by Jeffrey Sachs, and writes extensively on development, gender, and the environment.

Eduardo Borges Martins was the chief statistician in the creation of the Human Development Index for Brazil's municipalities.

The American Human Development Project is an independent, non-profit initiative of Oxfam America, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council, with additional support from the Annenberg Foundation.

Reviews

Christopher Simms:
A welcome book... strongly recommended.

One of The Globalist's Ten Favorite Books of 2008.

Derek Shearer:
For the Secretaries of Labor, Education, Health, Housing, Transportation, and White House staffers on domestic policy, a highly useful gift would be: The Measure of America

This very timely report articulates clearly the state of the country, using a multifaceted perspective; it is written in a straightforward, engaging manner... Essential.

The Measure of America is a wonderful tool and informative guide for readers in search of a deeper understanding of the complex nature of American society.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Boxes, Figures, Maps, and Tables Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	ix
Foreword Amartya Sen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xi
Foreword William H. Draper Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xiii
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xv
Executive Summary Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Understanding Human Development Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	8
What the American Human Development Index Reveals Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	26
The Building Blocks of the HD Index
A Long and Healthy Life Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	44
Access to Knowledge Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	80
A Decent Standard of Living Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	120
8-Point Human Development Agenda Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	150
Human Development Indicators Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	160
References Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	202

Language: English
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 256

eBook

Published: July 22, 2008
ISBN: 9780231510905