1. Our Roadmap to Success, for ‘US’
Dollars & Cents
“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” - The American Dream - it raises the bar,
setting a standard of excellence, for other countries and cultures to follow. The US
thrives on the vitality of its human capital and reputation equity, a creative and educated
workforce - America’s Alternative Energy... Visionaries, innovative, diverse, talented,
forward thinkers, and doers, who energize our growth into a global, urban community.
They will change the world.
(Photo © Tom Field Photography)
C ounties and cities compete to build the best communities to live and work, and
economic development experts look for new ways to excel. Our ability to build
a “creative community” – where talented and creative people want to live, work and
play is one path. Richard Florida theorizes that communities which emphasize new
technology, talent and tolerance will attract young, educated, and creative people who
contribute directly to economic growth.
Economic and intellectual wealth spawned charities and foundations supporting
creative arts, integrating intellectual endeavors with upward mobility for the less
affluent citizens, creating a place where people want to live and work. America
reputation as the Land of Opportunity enticed millions of immigrants and refugees to
our shores to invest their intellects and energy in both our economy and our society.
ECONOMIC GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT
Twenty-First Century America is one of the great economic success stories in
history. Thousands of dynamic companies capitalized on well-educated and highly
skilled residents, excellent school systems, and cultural amenities, making the US
a highly desirable places to live and work. The United States, as a world-class hub of
commerce and trade and the technology, provides a wide array of information and free
services designed to help American and international businesses locate or expand
their commercial operations. This thriving business community builds the commercial
tax base and helps fund award-winning public programs and services for a growing
and diversifying population.
PROSPERITY & WEALTH
America’s audience is the leadership of developing countries, studying and
understanding the policies and strategies that underlie rapid and sustained economic
growth and poverty reduction. The exponential expansion of the internet has changed
the knowledge base of the entire world. As we’ve learned, knowledge is power. The
distribution of knowledge (or wealth of knowledge) to even the remotest areas opens
not only learning opportunities, but communication access for those with unlimited
potential, but without those windows of opportunity that are needed to advance.
DEDICATION & COMMITMENT
Our bond is the belief that the world’s challenges - poverty, environment,
international conflict, vast differences in living standards within and across countries -
are best met in conditions of rising and sustained prosperity, and expanding economic
opportunities. Poverty cannot be reduced in isolation from economic growth; the
economic and social forces underlying rapid and sustained growth are the missing
links in most strategies. Industrialized nations need to assist developing countries
accelerate their rates of growth for their incomes to catch up.
The World Bank’s Commission on Growth and Development, funded by the
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Australia, Netherlands, Sweden, the United
Kingdom, as well as the World Bank, have defined these themes and issues by
inviting renowned academics, practitioners and experts to explore possibilities and
opportunities for growth and development.
As Americans, we are dedicated and committed to this investment in human
capital to achieve economic development, prosperity, and sustainability of our dynamic
U.S. President George W. Bush talks in the Rose Garden after meeting with G7 finance ministers and heads of international finance institutions at the White House in Washington DC, 11 October 2008. Also pictured behind
him are (left-to-right): Bank of Italy Governor Mario Draghi, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Eurogroup Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker, Japan’s Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa, U.S. Secretary of State
countries, where citizens pull their own weight.
Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, France’s Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, Canada’s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, Italy’s Economy Minister
This is the United States of America.
Giulio Tremonti, Germany’s Finance Minster Peer Steinbrueck and World Bank President Robert Zoellick. (Photo courtesy - International Monetary Fund Photograph/Stephen Jaffe)
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