Conclusion

Abstract

This book has examined the assets agenda. This is an area of policy that emphasises the stock of assets owned by individuals. Asset-based initiatives have caught the imagination of politicians and policy-makers across the world. In the introductory chapter I identified two key problems, however, that exist with this agenda. First, there is considerable confusion at a theoretical level. The assets agenda is composed of different parts but there is often a failure to distinguish between these different elements. This confusion is an obstacle to progress as it means that individuals are often talking at cross-purposes. Second, the stock of empirical knowledge is small. Although data on asset policies is growing, it remains fairly small. This means that efforts to roll out assets at a policy level often lack a solid empirical foundation.