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The relevance of basic needs for political and economic development

  • The Social Sciences and Development Theory
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Neither life itself nor the good life is possible without a certain minimum standard of wealth.

Abstract

This article addresses the “basic needs’ approach to development policy from the perspectives of the political and economic development literature. The central questions concern the compatibility of a basic needs approach with political and economic development and the impact of development on population welfare. Will a basic needs approach weaken or strengthn the processes of legitimation and state consolidation in developing systems? What impact will it have on participation and democracy? What will be the impact of such an approach upon attempts to industrialize and diversify production? While there are no definitive responses to these concerns the literature suggests that the approach has real potential value both for improving “human capital” and strengthening economic development, and for developing locally based political institutions.

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Authors
  1. Nancy L. Spalding
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Nancy Spalding is assistant professor of political science, at East Carolina University, Greenville North Carolina 27858. Her primary research interests are comparative development policy and structural economic reform. She is currently, working on a book on local organizations, development, and the implementation of basic needs policy in Africa.

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Spalding, N.L. The relevance of basic needs for political and economic development. Studies in Comparative International Development 25, 90–115 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02687181

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