of economic inquiry.  Poverty is couched in terms of not enough economic growth (erroneously the more GDP you have, the less poverty you are supposed to have - the distribution of said GDP being left up to others).  GDP, or GDP per capita, in and of itself is a poor indicator of poverty.  However imperfect, the HDI is a much better tool for measuring poverty reduction.

Also the religious faith in the free market as the ticket to prosperity has been debunked by historical facts.  As I have said elsewhere, the economies that have prospered (and here again, I am using the GDP indicator alone), have not relied on the free market but pursued instead a dirigiste role for the state.  If you want to add the "Democracy" to that, then people will just laugh you right out of the room.

"Beware of the man who does not talk, and the dog that does not bark." Cheyenne