Defining Opportunity and Prosperity Beyond Economic Growth

America has long prided itself on being the nation of opportunity. The “American Dream” is characterized as the ability to work hard and get ahead no matter your background. But what if the opportunity to get ahead in life is no longer accessible to all? Is the American Dream just that—a dream—with no grounding in reality? What does opportunity look like in the U.S. today?

On November 18, the Brookings Global Economy and Development Program and the Legatum Institute co-hosted an event to launch the Legatum Prosperity Index a definitive measure of global progress offering unique insight into how prosperity is forming and changing across the world. The index is an annual ranking of 142 countries that covers 96 percent of the world’s population and 99 percent of global GDP. It is unique in defining prosperity as a combination of wealth and well-being, unpacking important “pillars” of prosperity, namely, economy; entrepreneurship and opportunity; governance; education; health; safety and security; personal freedom; and social capital. Thus, this panel discussion explored what “prosperity” really means: Beyond economic growth, what else is important for national prosperity?

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