It is true that majority of the country believe that the advance in economy will be the key factor to succeed while some countries argue that various progress including education, welfare, etc., are also as important as economic progress.I agree with the statement that economic progress is essential for country's prosperity.
On the one hand, some people believe that if the government prioritize only economic success, it is easy to face imbalancing between economic development and social problems. For example, South Korea went through great economic success during the period 1980s to 1990s which was relatively in a short period. As a result we encountered serious corruption in 1999 caused by unhealthy economic system Moreover political corruption and unfairness between the class was getting worse and worse. Many people thought that it was caused by extremely fast economic growth. It led to imbalancing in the society by eliminating chances to develop the other types progress. Currently, Korean Government is focusing on the policies about human right, welfare, and environmental issue more than anything else while also trying to solve the abuse from exclusive economic pursuit. Because we now know that those criteria are equally significant.
On the other hand, many economists argued that any progress will not happen without advances in economy. As we all might know, money is a fundamental factor to build country’s infrastructure and the basic requirement society needed such as medical, education, and housing. Additionally, economy success can bring job creation and investment in welfare. Even countries known as leader of welfare in the world such as Sweden, Norway, and Canada have built enriched economic environment first thanks to great of natural resources. Therefore I think the government should focus on economic progress as their top priority so that other types of progress can follow after.
In conclusion, it is true that various other forms of progress are important for the healthy society, however, I believe that economic development can make everything possible and lead to more opportunities for the government.