The 6 killer apps of prosperity

[Niall Ferguson explains the key elements that make a society prosperous](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpnFeyMGUs8):

1. Competition
2. The Scientific Revolution
3. Property rights
4. Modern medicine
5. The consumer society
6. The work ethic

Comparing political and economic proposals by how they impact these metrics seems like a good way to keep your society on track. He makes a good point that the West pioneered many of these but has been steadily abandoning them as the rest of the world picks them up.