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The OECD Better Life Index was primarily designed to replace Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the sole measure of economic progress.
Answer: False
Explanation: The OECD Better Life Index aims to develop more effective indicators for economic and social progress, moving beyond GDP, but not to replace it as the *sole* measure. It provides a more holistic view rather than a direct substitution.
The OECD Better Life Initiative was inspired by the recommendations of the Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Commission, which posited that GDP inadequately reflected well-being.
Answer: True
Explanation: The OECD Better Life Initiative was launched in 2011, directly following the Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Commission's findings that traditional macroeconomic statistics like GDP did not accurately capture societal well-being.
The 'beyond growth' approach advocated by the OECD Better Life Initiative exclusively prioritizes increasing GDP while simultaneously ensuring environmental sustainability.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'beyond growth' approach emphasizes a broader understanding of societal progress, focusing on environmental sustainability, increased well-being, falling inequality, and systems resilience, rather than exclusively increasing GDP.
What is the primary goal of the OECD Better Life Index, established in May 2011?
Answer: To develop economic indicators that more effectively measure various aspects of economic and social progress.
Explanation: The primary goal of the OECD Better Life Index is to develop more comprehensive economic indicators that capture various facets of economic and social progress, moving beyond the limitations of GDP.
What commission's recommendations served as the inspiration for the OECD Better Life Initiative?
Answer: The Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Commission.
Explanation: The OECD Better Life Initiative was directly inspired by the recommendations of the Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Commission, which emphasized the need for broader measures of well-being beyond GDP.
Which of the following is NOT one of the four key areas of focus for the OECD Better Life Initiative's social and well-being indicators?
Answer: Rapid industrialization.
Explanation: The four key areas of focus are environmental sustainability, increased well-being, falling inequality, and systems resilience. Rapid industrialization is not listed as one of these core areas.
The 'Your Better Life Index (BLI)' interactive tool enables citizens to customize their own indexes by ranking 11 areas of socio-economic progress.
Answer: True
Explanation: The 'Your Better Life Index (BLI)' tool is an interactive component of the platform that allows users to personalize their well-being indexes by assigning importance to 11 distinct areas of socio-economic progress.
The OECD publishes user input data from the Better Life Index tool in an annual report titled 'State of Well-being,' which includes approximately 50 indicators.
Answer: False
Explanation: The OECD publishes user input data in a *bi-annual* report titled 'How's Life? Well-being,' which includes *over 80* indicators, not an annual report with 50 indicators.
The ultimate objective of collecting user input data for the 'How's Life? Well-being' report is to encourage governments to integrate well-being at the core of their policymaking.
Answer: True
Explanation: The collection and analysis of user input data aim to reflect citizen priorities and influence public policy, encouraging governments to place well-being at the core of their decision-making processes.
Each of the 11 well-being topics in the index is composed of 1-4 individual indices that are refined over time.
Answer: True
Explanation: The methodology of the index specifies that each of the 11 topics is comprised of 1-4 individual indices, which are continuously fine-tuned based on insights from previous data.
Initially, all 11 topics in the OECD Better Life Index are equally weighted to generate scores and ranks for over 30 countries.
Answer: True
Explanation: For baseline comparisons, the initial scores and ranks for participating countries are generated by assigning equal weighting to each of the 11 well-being topics.
The 11 core topics of well-being measured by the OECD Better Life Index include 'Technology' and 'Leisure Time'.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 11 core topics are Housing, Income, Jobs, Community, Education, Environment, Governance (later Civic engagement), Health, Life Satisfaction, Safety, and Work-Life Balance. 'Technology' and 'Leisure Time' are not among these core topics.
Users assign importance to the 11 topics by selecting 'important' or 'not important' for each.
Answer: False
Explanation: Users assign importance to the 11 topics by scoring each on a scale from 0 to 5, not by a binary 'important' or 'not important' selection.
In the interactive tool's chart, countries are represented by a flower, with each petal corresponding to one of the 11 topics.
Answer: True
Explanation: The interactive tool visually represents countries as flowers, where each petal symbolizes one of the 11 well-being topics, and its size reflects the country's score in that area.
The OECD Better Life Index tool was designed by a single independent developer.
Answer: False
Explanation: The OECD Better Life Index tool was collaboratively designed by the Berlin-based agency Raureif, in conjunction with Moritz Stefaner, not a single independent developer.
If an indicator like unemployment is considered negative, its normalized score is calculated as 1 minus the raw score to reflect a positive contribution to well-being.
Answer: True
Explanation: For negative indicators such as unemployment, the normalization process involves calculating the score as 1 minus the raw score, ensuring that a higher resulting value consistently indicates a positive contribution to well-being.
Which of the following components is an integral part of the OECD Better Life Index platform?
Answer: An interactive tool called 'Your Better Life Index (BLI)'.
Explanation: The OECD Better Life Index platform includes an interactive tool named 'Your Better Life Index (BLI),' which allows citizens to personalize their well-being indexes.
How frequently does the OECD publish the 'How's Life? Well-being' report, which incorporates user input data?
Answer: Bi-annually.
Explanation: The OECD analyzes user input data and publishes its findings in a bi-annual report titled 'How's Life? Well-being'.
What is the permissible range of scores users can assign to each of the 11 topics when constructing their personalized economic indexes?
Answer: 0 to 5.
Explanation: Users create their own economic indexes by scoring each of the 11 topics on a scale from 0 to 5, where 0 indicates no importance and 5 signifies paramount importance.
Which agency, in collaboration with Moritz Stefaner, was responsible for designing the OECD Better Life Index tool?
Answer: Berlin-based agency Raureif.
Explanation: The OECD Better Life Index tool was collaboratively designed by the Berlin-based agency Raureif, in conjunction with Moritz Stefaner.
How is the weighting for each topic calculated based on user input?
Answer: By dividing the 'Topic Score' by the sum of all 'Topic Scores' across the 11 areas.
Explanation: The weighting for each topic is calculated by dividing the user-provided 'Topic Score' by the sum of all 'Topic Scores' across the 11 areas, ensuring the total weight sums to 100%.
The OECD Better Life Index was first published in 2010 and initially included 15 topics of well-being.
Answer: False
Explanation: The OECD Better Life Index was first published on May 24, 2011, and initially consisted of 11 topics of well-being.
In 2012, the 'Governance' topic was renamed 'Civic engagement' in the OECD Better Life Index.
Answer: True
Explanation: As part of the 2012 updates to the OECD Better Life Index, the topic originally named 'Governance' was officially renamed 'Civic engagement' to better reflect its scope.
The OECD Better Life Index is designed to be comparable over time, allowing for historical analysis of well-being trends.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Better Life Index is not yet designed for longitudinal comparison because its methodology is still undergoing refinement. For historical data, the OECD recommends its 'How's Life - Well-being database'.
When was the OECD Better Life Index first published, and how many well-being topics did it initially include?
Answer: May 24, 2011, with 11 topics.
Explanation: The OECD Better Life Index was first published on May 24, 2011, and initially comprised 11 topics of well-being.
What significant modification was made to the 'Governance' indicator during the 2012 updates to the OECD Better Life Index?
Answer: It was renamed 'Civic engagement'.
Explanation: During the 2012 updates, the 'Governance' topic in the OECD Better Life Index was renamed 'Civic engagement' to better reflect its focus.
Why is the OECD Better Life Index currently not suitable for longitudinal comparison over time?
Answer: Its methodology is still being fine-tuned.
Explanation: The Better Life Index is not yet comparable over time because its methodological framework is still undergoing refinement, making longitudinal analysis inappropriate with the current version.
Norway held the top overall rank in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index.
Answer: True
Explanation: In the 2020 OECD Better Life Index, Norway achieved the highest overall rank, indicating its strong performance across the aggregated well-being topics.
In the 2020 rankings, Norway achieved its highest score in Income and Wealth.
Answer: False
Explanation: Norway's highest scores in the 2020 rankings were in Safety (100%) and Life Satisfaction (99%), while Income and Wealth was its lowest score (47%).
Australia ranked third overall in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index.
Answer: False
Explanation: Australia ranked second overall in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index, not third. Iceland ranked third.
Iceland scored highest in Community and Environment in the 2020 rankings.
Answer: True
Explanation: In the 2020 rankings, Iceland achieved its highest scores in both Community and Environment, each reaching 100%.
South Africa ranked last among the listed countries in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index, receiving 0% in both 'Jobs' and 'Life Satisfaction'.
Answer: True
Explanation: South Africa was indeed ranked last (40th place) in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index and received 0% in both the 'Jobs' and 'Life Satisfaction' categories, highlighting severe challenges.
Which country secured the top overall rank in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index?
Answer: Norway.
Explanation: Norway achieved the top overall rank in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index, demonstrating the highest combined performance across all well-being topics.
What were Norway's highest scores among the 11 well-being topics in the 2020 rankings?
Answer: Safety (100%) and Life Satisfaction (99%).
Explanation: In the 2020 rankings, Norway's highest scores were in Safety (100%) and Life Satisfaction (99%).
Which country ranked second overall in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index?
Answer: Australia.
Explanation: Australia achieved the second overall rank in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index, indicating a strong comprehensive performance.
What were Australia's highest scores among the 11 well-being topics in the 2020 rankings?
Answer: Health and Civic engagement (both 94%).
Explanation: Australia's highest scores in the 2020 rankings were in Health and Civic engagement, both achieving 94%.
Which country ranked third overall in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index?
Answer: Iceland.
Explanation: Iceland achieved the third overall rank in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index, reflecting a strong quality of life.
What were Iceland's lowest scores among the 11 well-being topics in the 2020 rankings?
Answer: Housing (52%) and Work-Life Balance (51%).
Explanation: Iceland's lowest scores in the 2020 rankings were in Housing (52%) and Work-Life Balance (51%), indicating areas for improvement.
Which country ranked last among the listed countries in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index?
Answer: South Africa.
Explanation: South Africa ranked last, in 40th place, among the listed countries in the 2020 OECD Better Life Index.
What scores did South Africa receive in the 'Jobs' and 'Life Satisfaction' categories in the 2020 rankings?
Answer: 0% in both 'Jobs' and 'Life Satisfaction'.
Explanation: In the 2020 rankings, South Africa received a score of 0% in both the 'Jobs' and 'Life Satisfaction' categories, indicating severe challenges in these areas.
Since 2010, life expectancy has generally decreased across OECD countries.
Answer: False
Explanation: Since 2010, life expectancy has generally increased by more than one year across OECD countries, indicating an overall improvement in health and living conditions.
The average homicide rate has risen across OECD countries over the last decade.
Answer: False
Explanation: Over the last decade, the average homicide rate has fallen across OECD countries, and people generally report feeling safer.
People in OECD countries are generally less satisfied with their lives now than they were in 2013.
Answer: False
Explanation: People in OECD countries are generally more satisfied with their lives now than they were in 2013, indicating an overall positive shift in perceived well-being.
The 2020 findings indicate that countries showing improvements in well-being tend to be those that initially had stronger well-being, primarily in Western Europe.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 2020 findings suggest that countries showing improvements in well-being tend to be those that initially had *weaker* well-being, primarily concentrated in Eastern Europe, indicating a 'catching up' phenomenon.
Almost 40% of households across OECD countries are considered financially insecure.
Answer: True
Explanation: Data indicates that almost 40% of households across OECD countries are classified as financially insecure, highlighting a significant economic vulnerability.
The number of people reporting difficulties in making ends meet has almost tripled since 2010.
Answer: False
Explanation: The number of people reporting difficulties in making ends meet has almost *doubled* since 2010, not tripled.
A worrying trend of increased time spent socializing has been identified in OECD countries.
Answer: False
Explanation: A worrying trend of *decline* in time spent socializing has been identified, with people spending almost half an hour less per week with friends and family than in 2010.
Income inequality has significantly decreased in OECD countries since 2010.
Answer: False
Explanation: Income inequality has barely changed in OECD countries since 2010, with the top 20% of earners still making six times more than the bottom 20%.
Women in OECD countries earn 13% less than men and work half an hour more per day when considering both paid and unpaid work.
Answer: True
Explanation: The report highlights gender disparities, stating that women earn 13% less than men and work an additional half-hour per day when accounting for both paid and unpaid labor.
What general trend has been observed in life expectancy across OECD countries since 2010?
Answer: It has generally increased by more than one year.
Explanation: Since 2010, life expectancy has generally increased by more than one year across OECD countries, reflecting improvements in health and living conditions.
How has the average homicide rate changed across OECD countries over the last decade?
Answer: It has fallen.
Explanation: Over the last decade, the average homicide rate has fallen across OECD countries, contributing to a general perception of increased safety.
What trend has been observed regarding Income and Jobs across OECD countries over the last 10 years?
Answer: Both Income and Jobs have risen.
Explanation: On average, both Income and Jobs have shown an upward trend across OECD countries over the last 10 years, indicating general economic growth and improved employment opportunities.
What percentage of households across OECD countries are considered financially insecure?
Answer: Almost 40%.
Explanation: Data indicates that almost 40% of households across OECD countries are classified as financially insecure.
What percentage of the population across the OECD lives in relative income poverty?
Answer: 12%.
Explanation: Across the OECD countries, 12% of the population lives in relative income poverty, highlighting a persistent challenge with income disparity.
How has the number of people reporting difficulties in making ends meet changed since 2010?
Answer: It has almost doubled.
Explanation: The number of people reporting difficulties in making ends meet has nearly doubled since 2010, indicating growing financial strain on households.
What worrying trend has been identified regarding social connections in OECD countries?
Answer: A decline in time spent socializing and an increase in people reporting no friends or family to rely on.
Explanation: A worrying trend of declining time spent socializing has been identified, coupled with an increase in individuals reporting a lack of friends or family to rely on, suggesting weakening social support networks.
What correlation is observed between levels of well-being and equality in countries?
Answer: Higher levels of well-being are observed in countries that also have higher levels of equality.
Explanation: The report indicates a positive correlation, where countries with higher levels of equality also tend to exhibit higher levels of well-being, suggesting a strong link between equitable societies and overall quality of life.
A major criticism of the Better Life Index is its use of an overly broad set of indicators compared to other well-being indexes.
Answer: False
Explanation: A major criticism is precisely the opposite: the Better Life Index uses a *limited subset* of indicators compared to other well-being indexes, leading to arguments that it doesn't fully capture all important aspects.
The user input feature of the OECD Better Life Index has been praised for effectively depicting collective citizen definitions of well-being.
Answer: True
Explanation: The user input feature has received positive feedback for its ability to effectively illustrate collective citizen definitions of well-being, providing a more democratic understanding of the concept.
What is a major criticism leveled against the OECD Better Life Index regarding its indicators?
Answer: It uses a limited subset of indicators compared to other well-being indexes.
Explanation: A primary criticism is that the Better Life Index employs a limited subset of indicators compared to other well-being indexes, leading to arguments that it does not fully capture all important aspects of a populace's well-being.
What specific aspects do observers argue the Better Life Index fails to fully capture?
Answer: Social networks that sustain relationships and freedom of speech.
Explanation: Observers contend that the 11 dimensions of the Better Life Index do not fully capture crucial intangible aspects such as social networks that sustain relationships and the fundamental right to freedom of speech.
What methodological criticism has been raised against the OECD Better Life Index?
Answer: Its use of relative scores instead of absolute ones.
Explanation: A methodological criticism highlights the index's reliance on relative scores rather than absolute ones, which can impact country rankings and comparisons.