Capability Approach and Public Policies A Capability Approach

Capability Approach and Public Policies

A Capability Approach for the Public Social Policies? 1. Capabilities 2. Effects on Public Policies 3. A definition of equality beyond the contradiction between neo-liberalism and the « protective » Welfare State 4. Human Rights Politics (not only « social policies » )

1. Capabilities The development of individual capabilities is the aim of a democratic economic development (other definitions of development : needs, utilities) n A capability = the real opportunity to live the life anybody has reasons to select. n

A capability = the real opportunity to live the life one has reasons to choose and value. Commentary : - one : any individual person (liberalism) - To choose and value : the freedom of choice is the ground of morality (liberalism) - Reasons : the choice is not arbitrary, can be explained and justified in a public debate (answer to « communautarian » critiques of liberalism) - Real opportunity : creation of « possible worlds » . Freedom depends on the environment and possibilities of variation (answer to « marxist » critiques of liberalism).

Factors of conversion Resource 1 Resource 2 Ressource 3 Complex context of people’s deliberations and choices Resource n… capabilities Functionings (individual states and actions)

What are the capabilities? - Physical integrity and health Emotional expression and sexuality Social relationships Work and leisure Education and culture … How to select the capabilities to develop? - In context - Participation

Three dimensions of capabilities (of poverty) Capability 1 Individual capability Capability 2 Social capability connections, social environment Entitlements - rights Capability 3

2. Public policies : plurality of development principles n n n Economic orthodoxy : growth as the focus of economic policies, efficiency as the focus of economics. Sen Capability Approach : insistence on plurality of principles. Efficiency must be compatible with equality and quality of life. Contingency of this compatibility. Connection with empirical information. An information basis is not value-free. Normative points of view and relevant facts are connected.

Effects of pluralism on the information basis of public policies Two sides of an information basis of public policies : 1. Data collection n Critique of the indicators (GNP for instance) : need for a plurality of indicators according to different normative points of view Complexity can be reduced via a homogeneisation (most often : monetarisation) : generates bias and poverty of information We can deal with complexity via complex indicators not via reduction. n n 2. Deliberative process at any stage of the policy n n Necessity of qualitative inquiries and speech (cognitive democracy) Data must be discussed in public debates and choices must be made (choices are unavoidable, and sometimes tragic choices). No absolute necessity.

3. Definition of equality How to go beyond the protective, fordist equality without going back to the liberal formal equality?

Three main features : n. Beyond (neo-)liberal and formal « negative » freedom, the positive freedom négative freedom : the freedom defined by the absence of obstacle Positive freedom : the real freedom n Beyond a « ressourcist » approach, the capability approach n. Beyond « categories » (worker/non worker, retired/non/retired etc. ), an individual category.

4. A politics of Human rights n n More important than quantitative targets : rights. Meaning of a policy. Beyond the opposition between rights and policies Human rights are moral aims of policies. Not only means and not unconditional legal rights. Human rights can be (or not) legalised. In order to promote the human rights, there and must be functional equivalents to law.

A permanent evaluation of human rights Factors of conversion (1) Right as a cognitive resource (symbolic frameworks analysis) (2) Right as a legal resource Complex context of people’s deliberations and choices (legal effects analysis) (4) capabilities (3) Functionings (practical consequences analysis)

Rights State Conception State of Freedom Intervention Formal rights Liberal State Negative Freedom Material rights Protective Positive Manager State ressourcist Freedom Enabling Positive Supply of State effective and capability procedural ressources Substantive and procedural rights Judge