Welfare/Efficiency Interactions in Selected West European Countries

Abstract

This chapter presents brief analyses of the differing relationships between welfare and efficiency in six West European nations. The purposes are (a) to explain the main factors involved in the changes in this relationship in each country and (b) to ascertain whether negative-sum effects have already arisen or are likely to emerge in the coming years that contribute to neomercantilist trends. For these purposes, it is not necessary to give a comprehensive account of the progress, problems and policies of each national economy. Only those aspects will be covered that help to illuminate the nature and consequences of the welfare/efficiency relationship. However, as explained in Chapter 1, even this limited aim cannot be fully achieved due to the incompleteness of the available data.