Issue Briefs
Good Values at the Root of Utah’s Success
December 20th, 2019
By Paolo von Schirach
WASHINGTON – A recent article pointed out how, year after year, Utah is on top of the national list of the best states to do business in America, not to mention that the state gets very high marks on good governance, while in Utah there is very low unemployment. And in Utah kids attending public schools on average do rather well compared to the rest of the U.S., notwithstanding the fact that in Utah spending per pupil is quite below the national average. Well, what is the secret of this success?
Nothing special about Utah
There is absolutely nothing special about this Western landlocked state. Sure, there are mountains, and parks and a great deal of pristine nature. But this natural beauty is not the foundation of Utah’s growth, and therefore it cannot explain sustained prosperity. And yet, year after year, Utah stays on top of many significant national rankings dealing with easiness to do business, governance, quality of life, and more.
The secret is the people and their values
Well, here is the reason: the people. Yes, the people of Utah and their values. We know that many people in Utah are Mormons. Whatever your opinion about this rather mysterious religion, we know that this faith strongly promotes values of thrift, frugality, honesty and charitable giving. Could this –deeply held values that promote best practices in education, business and government– be Utah’s, secret sauce? I think so. The spiritual values held by many of Utah’s citizens do have a beneficial impact on the society they built.
So, there you have it. Sustained economic growth and good governance reinforce each other, and they are the byproduct of good values sincerely embraced by the people.
No proprietary economic development strategies
Utah’s, “economic miracle” is not the outcome of following complex investment and development strategies, or proprietary computer models developed by a team of management super gurus.
The truth is disarmingly simple. Values that hold in high regard a good education, entrepreneurship, honesty, frugality and lean but effective government inspire productive, honest behavior and good public administration. And all this eventually translates into prosperity.
“You mean, that’s it?”
Yes, that’s it.
The views and opinions expressed in this issue brief are those of the author.
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Paolo von Schirach is President of the Global Policy Institute www.globalpi.org and Chair of Political Science and International Relations at Bay Atlantic University www.bau.edu He is also the Editor of the Schirach Report www.schirachreport.com |