Capability Approach and Public Policies

A Capability Approach for the Public Social Policies? 1. Capabilities 2. Effects on Public Policies3. 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)

A capability = the real opportunity to live the life anybody has reasons to select.

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).

Resource 1

Resource 2 Complex context of people’s deliberations and choices

Functionings

(individual states and actions)

capabilities

Factors of conversion

Ressource 3

Resource n…

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

Capability 3 Entitlements - rights

2. Public policies : plurality of development principles 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 policiesTwo sides of an information basis of public policies : 1. Data collection

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.

2. Deliberative process at any stage of the policy

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 :

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

Beyond a « ressourcist » approach, the capability approach

Beyond « categories » (worker/non worker, retired/non/retired etc.), an individual category.

4. A politics of Human rights 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 are and must be functional equivalents to law.

A permanent evaluation of human rights

(1) Right as a cognitive resource(symbolic frameworks analysis)

(2) Right as a legal resource

(legal effects analysis)

Complex context of people’s deliberations and choices

(3) Functionings

(practical consequences analysis)

(4) capabilities

Factors of conversion

Rights State Conception of Freedom

State Intervention

Formal rights

Liberal State

Negative Freedom

Judge

Material rights

Protective State

Positive ressourcist Freedom

Manager

Substantive and procedural rights

Enabling State

Positive capability

Supply of effective and procedural ressources