Community Economic Development Essay

Economic growth is an increase in the capacity of an economy to produce goods and services from one period of time to another. In simple terms, it refers to an increase in aggregate productivity.

Community development involves changing the relationships between ordinary people and people in positions of power, so that everyone can take part in the issues that affect their lives. It starts from the principle that within any community there is a wealth of knowledge and experience which, if used in creative ways, can be channeled into collective action to achieve the communities' desired goals.

Economic development can be defined generally as involving an improvement in economic welfare, measured using a variety of indices, such as the Human Development Index (HDI). A developing country is described as a nation with a lower standard of living, underdeveloped industrial base, and a low HDI relative to other countries. There are several factors which may have the effect of limiting economic development in such countries. Factors such as these include: primary product dependency, the savings gap and political instability.

3. A growing economy means that the economy is producing more and more “stuff”, either because it has more resources (workers), or uses those resources more productively (smarter, better workers, working with better machines and systems). A growing economy that produces more and

* Economic wellbeing: This concerns the financial situation that a person finds themself in. Economic wellbeing (on both a personal level and a community level) is important in maintaining the other areas of wellbeing as most

Economic Development: Growth is associated with structural, social change and change in the important institutions of the economy.

Economic growth is a common term used by economists to describe in increase in production in the long run. According to Robinson (1972) economic growth is defined as increases in aggregate product, either total or per capita, without reference to changes in the structure of the economy or in the social and cultural value systems. The basic tool of measuring the economic growth includes the real GDP. It provides some quantitative measures in terms of the production volume.

Economic growth is best defined as a long-term expansion of the productive potential of the economy. Sustained economic growth should lead higher real living standards and rising employment. Short term growth is measured by the annual % change in real GDP.

Another desirable effect of economic growth is increased tax revenue, the government receives more money from tax payers with out having to increase tax rates. If people are earning more, the more money they will pay in tax, the more money companies make the more tax they must pay to the government. The more money the government gains in tax revenue the more they can do to improve the country, they can invest in transport and infrastructure, they can make improvements to health care and they may even need to employ more people further reducing unemployment.

Economic development can be defined generally as involving an improvement in economic welfare, measured using a variety of indices, such as the Human Development Index (HDI). A developing country is described as a nation with a lower standard of living, underdeveloped industrial base, and a low HDI relative to other countries. There are several factors which may have the effect of limiting economic development in such countries. Factors such as these include: primary product dependency, the savings gap and political instability.

Community development is multi-faceted. Bhattacharyya (2004) argues that community development is not a distinct field and that not everything that is being done by developers to improve communities should not be regarded as community development. Bhattacharyya (2004) states that it should only be regarded as community development if the improvement pursues solidarity and agency which can be achieved through adhering to the principles of self-help, felt needs and participation.

Market based approaches to community development involve those who participate in the social economy i.e. cooperatives, social enterprises etc. Locally tied, these market based approaches tap into social capital as key business practice. Broadly speaking most cooperatives would not succeed if it were not for the collective membership of the local community. Cooperatives

Economic growth is a necessary but not sufficient condition of economic development. There is no single definition that encompasses all the aspects of economic development. The most comprehensive definition perhaps of economic development is the one given by Todaro: ‘Development is not purely an economic phenomenon but rather a multi – dimensional process involving reorganization and re orientation of the entire economic and social system. Development is a process of improving the quality of all human lives with three equally important aspects. These are: 1.

Development is defined as “the process of change operating over time- the process by which countries and societies advance and become richer’’. The modern 20th century defines development as” the process of change which allows all the basic needs of a region to be met, thereby achieving greater social justice and quality of life and encouraging people to fulfill their potential’’. Todaro defines development as “the process of improving the quality of all human lives through raising people’s living standards, their incomes, consumption levels of food, medical services, education, raising people’s self-esteem through the establishment of social, political and economic systems and institutions that promote dignity and respect and increasing people’s

Economic growth refers to the rate of increase in the total production of goods and services within an economy. Economic growth increases the productivity capacity of an economy, thereby allowing more wants to be satisfied. A growing economy increases employment opportunities, stimulates business enterprise and innovation. A sustained economic growth is fundamental to any nation wishing to raise its standard of living and provide a greater well being for all. Gross domestic product (GDP) is the monetary value of all final goods and services produced over a year. It is the total value of production within the economy. The total value of production is the total value of the final goods or services less the cost of