Abstract:
Policy-makers the world over have argued that good social policy is the route to achieving economic growth and prosperity. CPRN has been studying that relationship for years &em; concluding that a strong health care system, a skilled workforce and resilient families bring with them comparative advantage. This argument is known as the "social policy as a productive factor" approach and makes the case that investment in the social realm brings long term cost savings. There is even some evidence that spending more on social policy means needing to spend less on social protection such as welfare. In his paper the Director of CPRN's Family Network, David Hay, sets out to find what is known about the economic benefits of social policies that contribute to the overall health of Canadians.