thoughts?
Agree with your assertion. By definition, a culture that isn’t improving is either declining or static. The rub comes in the definition of “improving.” There’s no universal standard for the word and to measure it strictly in material terms is to solicit argument from the spiritual (and anti-materialstic) communities. So I think you’ve oversimplified somewhat.
And “criteria” is a plural noun — requires a plural verb. The singular is “criterion.”
RE: ‘criteria’. How about literacy?