Module 3: Leading from where you are
Prioritising wellbeing
For long, neoliberal economics has influenced the shape and form of governance around the world, whereby the economy is viewed as a self-regulating system and governments are meant to intervene only to correct ‘market-failures’. This approach puts the economy before people and the planet and positions governments as ‘firefighters’, there to fix the damages done to people and the planet in the process of economic growth.
In a wellbeing economy, governments are important economic players:
they provide public goods and services to support other economic players (including households, the commons and the market, see Module 1.3);
they create legislative frameworks for all forms of economic activities;
they are essential partners in unleashing innovation, catalysing investments and facilitating partnerships needed for the transition towards an economy in service of wellbeing [1] [2].
“The creative role of government in economic life is vast and inescapable in an interdependent and crowded world.”
— Paul Samuelson, Economist
As a civil servant, a policymaker, a politician, or someone working with governments, you have the power to shape how governments act and tap into their power as an important economic actor.
There are many ways in which governments can steward the transition towards a wellbeing economy. At the same time, the journey for each government will be different depending on social, political, cultural, and environmental contexts. There is no one-size-fits all approach to building a wellbeing economy and there are many different ways to get started.
For example, analysis of how over 80 local and regional governments around the world are engaging with Doughnut Economics tools and concepts shows that [3]:
some are taking initial steps, for example by starting conversations and internal learning about post-growth approaches or by testing Doughnut tools on ongoing projects, to build foundations for wider change.
some are on a journey and use Doughnut thinking to inform new measures of progress and to develop plans or specific strategies.
others are committed long-term and use Doughnut Economics as a compass and a unifying framework for all policy and strategy development, testing strategic and policy decisions against their impact on social and ecological outcomes, and identifying levers for transformative change.
Regardless of how big or small your first step might be, the first step is the most important one as it reflects a conscious move away from a growth-focused pathway that has become a dead-end street and a move into a new direction that opens up new opportunities.
References
[1] Raworth, K. (2018). Doughnut Economics: Seven ways to think like a 21st century economist. Cornerstone.
[2] Mazzucato, M. (2022). Mission Economy. Penguin.
[3] DEAL, 2023. Cities & regions: let's get started. Nine pathways for local and regional governments to engage with Doughnut Economics as a tool for transformative action, https://doughnuteconomics.org/tools/cities-regions-let-s-get-started