Population: A Vital Indicator of Economic Growth

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Economic growth in a city, state, or country is characterized by steady growth in the productive capacity of the economy or a growth of national income (Fernandez- Villaverde, 2001). The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate is most commonly used to measure economic growth because it is a reflection of the total change in a country’s national output (Filardo, 1999). This growth rate is used to predict the direction of an economy. A positive growth rate indicates a positive economy with more jobs, consumption and income while a negative growth indicates an economic decline (Filardo, 1999). Economic growth constitutes superior productivity, prosperity, and increased capital per capita resulting in a higher quality of living. Conversely, economic decline can lead to a higher percentage of unemployment and scarcity of resources (Morrison, 1972). The GDP growth rate mirrors the economic growth rate in that the GDP growth rate is comprised of two components: population growth and labor productivity (Fernandez- Villaverde, 2001). For this reason, the GDP growth rate should be used in order to obtain the most accurate measure of economic growth.

Land Use and Social Sciences

Social science is a field of study primarily concerned with society and human behaviors. Due to the poor connections between spatially explicit (restricted land space) land use studies and the social sciences, it is difficult for land use modelers to utilize the vast stock of social science theory and methodology (Verburg, Schot, Dijst, & Veldkamp, 2004). This difficulty is further complicated by the ongoing obstacles within the social sciences in trying to interconnect the micro and macro levels of social organization (Coleman, 1990).

Micro level pers...

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