Left Versus Left in Latin America

There's an enduring myth in Latin America that left-wing populist governments somehow do a better job of promoting economic growth and social development than their political counterparts. For those wedded to that belief the 2014 Social Progress Index should be compulsory reading.

The index has impeccable credentials -- Michael Porter, the celebrated Harvard Business School professor and expert in national competitiveness, had a hand in designing it along with Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto. And for those who hold the view that GDP isn't the sole measure of human happiness, the index also incorporates measures of basic human needs and quality of life. It's worth noting that the survey didn't give a pass to U.S.-style capitalism, ranking the country 16th out of 132 countries evaluated, two steps ahead of Slovenia.