Sonam Tobgyal: Japan to adopt GNH Index

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Japan to adopt GNH Index

According to various media sources, Japanese Government is working towards developing GNH index to measure the standard of living. Japanese GNH Index is expected to have three areas, which being economic and social conditions, mental and physical wellbeing, and family and social connections. The survey is expected to be carried out in 2012.

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Welcome Note

Hi Everyone,

I would like to extend my warmest welcome to everyone of you who has visited my weblog 'Public Policy'. The main purpose of my weblog is to serve as a platform to discuss social issues and public policies that affect us and others. Nevertheless, I would like to make a note that this weblog does not intend to defame or criticize any existing public policy as every public policy is formulated in the best interests of the nation. Rather, this weblog shall strive to contribute towards making constructive discussions and comments in improving existing public policies.

Before we delve into public policy discussions, it is important that we are on the same stand in understanding the concepts of public policy. According to Ronald Manzer from Univeristy of Toronto (1984), 'Two very different paradigms of decision-making have dominated contemporary studies of public-policy making. One paradigm may be summarized as "elitist-planning". Its advocates regard collective decisions as deliberate choices from available options made by designated decision-makers on behalf of a group. In this view public policies are or,perhaps better, should be the result of anticipatory problem-solving, synoptic planning and rational choice. The other paradigm may be summarized as "Pluralist exchange". Its adovcates regard collective decisions as epiphenomenal outcomes of decisions made by many individuals or groups interating with one another. Public policies in this view are the result of reactive problem-solving, strategic planning and incremental decisions.'

From the above, we know that a public policy is the result of collective decisions made by group of individuals to suit their collective needs. Therefore, it is important to understand that public policy cannot remain rigid but should be dynamic with change in time and needs. With this note, I invite your valuable comments and discussions on the issues related to public policy that I post on this weblog.

Tashi Delek!

Sonam Tobgyal