Human capital and the wealth of nations: A new methodology for evaluating measurements of social and economic change in Latin America and other world regions

Abstract

This dissertation analyzes the economic and social development trends in Latin America utilizing multiple economic and social series. The economic section analyzes Latin America's performance using several gross domestic product series, each utilizing different methodologies. The social section analyzes Latin America's performance utilizing the Social Opportunity Index, Physical Quality of Life Index, and Human Development Index. In addition to analyzing Latin America's absolute economic and social performance, this work also compares the trends in Latin America with those in the United States for all of the series. In addition, the performance of Latin America is also compared to the world average and major world regions.