Measurements of Success
- The world has made progress in terms of human development and human rights
- Most improvements have occurred because of geopolitical interventions, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
- Interventions in sovereign states, whether humanitarian, military or the use of development aid, should improve the lives of people in a measurable way
- To measure the success of geopolitical interventions, a wide range of variables need to be considered, including whether there have been improvements in:
- Health - more citizens will be vaccinated, a decrease in infant mortality
- Life expectancy - increased for men and women
- Education levels - more women and girls in education, improved literacy levels
- Gender equality - women would have access to the same opportunities as men e.g. jobs, voting, eduction
- Freedom of speech - fewer restrictions on media, social media and opinions, more evidence of democracy
- The management of refugees - the successful re-housing of refugees in other countries
- GDP per capita - citizens becoming more wealthy
- Progress in human development is easier to measure than progress in human rights as statistical data is more readily available e.g. literacy rates
Exam Tip
Single indicators or index data are often used as stimulus material in the exam paper, so make sure you are familiar with the different indicators and the units used to measure them.