IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/gfe/pfrp00/00018.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Clustering European Welfare Systems through a Performance Index

Author

Listed:
  • Maria Alessandra Antonelli
  • Valeria De Bonis

    (Università Sapienza di Roma - Dipartimento di Studi Giuridici, Filosofici ed Economici)

Abstract

We construct a composite performance indicator to assess the relative performance of welfare policies in the EU countries. We show that the variability of performances cannot be explained only by the amount of resources devoted to social policies, but also by the composition of social expenditure: countries with higher shares of redistributive public expenditure obtain better results in the social sector. This result confirms the association between the type of welfare system, according to the traditional four-way classification, and the performance level. However, considering a more complete set of indicators of the structure of the welfare systems, we find that European countries cannot be grouped according to the traditional classification. Considering expenditure-side indicators and financing-side indicators together, three groups form: one comprising the UK and Iceland, one the Nordic countries and the Netherlands, one the continental (and southern) countries and Ireland.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Alessandra Antonelli & Valeria De Bonis, 2016. "Clustering European Welfare Systems through a Performance Index," Public Finance Research Papers 18, Istituto di Economia e Finanza, DSGE, Sapienza University of Rome.
    • Handle: RePEc:gfe:pfrp00:00018
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.dsge.uniroma1.it/sites/default/files/pubblicazioni/economia/e-pfrp18.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Willem Adema & Pauline Fron & Maxime Ladaique, 2011. "Is the European Welfare State Really More Expensive?: Indicators on Social Spending, 1980-2012; and a Manual to the OECD Social Expenditure Database (SOCX)," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 124, OECD Publishing.
    2. repec:bla:jcmkts:v:48:y:2010:i::p:529-556 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Koen Caminada & Kees Goudswaard & Olaf Van Vliet, 2010. "Patterns of Welfare State Indicators in the EU: Is there Convergence?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(3), pages 529-556, June.
    4. Maria Alessandra Antonelli, 2015. "Le politiche sociali in Europa: un confronto dei risultati raggiunti in 19 paesi europei," Public Finance Research Papers 14, Istituto di Economia e Finanza, DSGE, Sapienza University of Rome.
    5. Luisa Corrado & David A. Londo–o B. & Francesco S. Mennini & Giovanni Trovato, 2003. "The Welfare States in a United Europe," European Political Economy Review, European Political Economy Infrastructure Consortium, vol. 1(Spring), pages 40-55.
    6. Maria Alessandra Antonelli & Valeria De Bonis, 2015. "Quanti sistemi europei di welfare? Un’analisi in base a dimensioni, struttura, finanziamento," Public Finance Research Papers 16, Istituto di Economia e Finanza, DSGE, Sapienza University of Rome.
    7. Hans‐Werner Sinn, 2004. "The New Systems Competition," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 5(1), pages 23-38, February.
    8. Antonio Afonso & Ludger Schuknecht & Vito Tanzi, 2010. "Public sector efficiency: evidence for new EU member states and emerging markets," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(17), pages 2147-2164.
    9. Tanzi,Vito & Schuknecht,Ludger, 2000. "Public Spending in the 20th Century," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521662918, September.
    10. Willem Adema & Marcel Einerhand & Bengt Eklind & Jorgen Lotz & Mark Pearson, 1996. "Net Public Social Expenditure," OECD Labour Market and Social Policy Occasional Papers 19, OECD Publishing.
    11. António Afonso & Ludger Schuknecht & Vito Tanzi, 2005. "Public sector efficiency: An international comparison," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 123(3), pages 321-347, June.
    12. Isabelle Joumard & Mauro Pisu & Debbie Bloch, 2012. "Tackling income inequality: The role of taxes and transfers," OECD Journal: Economic Studies, OECD Publishing, vol. 2012(1), pages 37-70.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Antonelli Maria Alessandra & De Bonis Valeria, 2018. "Assessing the performance of social spending in Europe," Central European Journal of Public Policy, Sciendo, vol. 12(1), pages 17-31, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Antonelli Maria Alessandra & De Bonis Valeria, 2018. "Assessing the performance of social spending in Europe," Central European Journal of Public Policy, Sciendo, vol. 12(1), pages 17-31, June.
    2. Maria Alessandra Antonelli & Valeria De Bonis, 2015. "Quanti sistemi europei di welfare? Un’analisi in base a dimensioni, struttura, finanziamento," Public Finance Research Papers 16, Istituto di Economia e Finanza, DSGE, Sapienza University of Rome.
    3. Ant—nio Afonso & Ludger Schuknecht & Vito Tanzi, 2023. "The size of government," Chapters, in: António Afonso & João Tovar Jalles & Ana Venâncio (ed.), Handbook on Public Sector Efficiency, chapter 1, pages 6-31, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Christl, Michael & Köppl-Turyna, Monika & Kucsera, Dénes, 2018. "Public sector efficiency in Europe: Long-run trends, recent developments and determinants," Working Papers 14, Agenda Austria.
    5. Gaspar, Ví­tor & Afonso, António, 2006. "Excess burden and the cost of inefficiency in public services provision," Working Paper Series 601, European Central Bank.
    6. Tumaniants, Karen A. (Туманянц, Карэн) & Sesina, Julia E. (Сесина, Юлия), 2017. "Social Expenditures of Russian Regions in Terms of “Input-Output” [Расходы На Социальную Политику Российских Регионов В Координатах «Затраты — Результат»]," Ekonomicheskaya Politika / Economic Policy, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, vol. 5, pages 128-149, October.
    7. Ablam Estel APETI & Bao-We-Wal BAMBE & Jean Louis COMBES, 2022. "On the Macroeconomic Effects of Fiscal Reforms : Fiscal Rules and Public Expenditure Efficiency," LEO Working Papers / DR LEO 2985, Orleans Economics Laboratory / Laboratoire d'Economie d'Orleans (LEO), University of Orleans.
    8. Martin Heipertz & Melanie Ward-Warmedinger, 2008. "Economic and Social Models in Europe and the Importance of Reform," Financial Theory and Practice, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 32(3), pages 255-287.
    9. Riadh Brini & Hatem Jemmali, 2015. "Public Spending Efficiency, Governance, and Political and Economic Policies: is there a Substantial Casual Relation? Evidence from Selected MENA Countries," Working Papers 947, Economic Research Forum, revised Sep 2015.
    10. Konstantinos Angelopoulos & Apostolis Philippopoulos & Efthymios Tsionas, 2008. "Does public sector efficiency matter? Revisiting the relation between fiscal size and economic growth in a world sample," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 245-278, October.
    11. Antonis Adam & Manthos Delis & Pantelis Kammas, 2011. "Public sector efficiency: leveling the playing field between OECD countries," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 146(1), pages 163-183, January.
    12. Antonis Adam & Manthos Delis & Pantelis Kammas, 2014. "Fiscal decentralization and public sector efficiency: evidence from OECD countries," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 17-49, February.
    13. António Afonso & Ludger Schuknecht & Vito Tanzi, 2010. "Income distribution determinants and public spending efficiency," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 8(3), pages 367-389, September.
    14. Antonio Afonso & Ludger Schuknecht & Vito Tanzi, 2010. "Public sector efficiency: evidence for new EU member states and emerging markets," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(17), pages 2147-2164.
    15. António Afonso & João Tovar Jalles & Ana Venâncio, 2021. "Taxation and Public Spending Efficiency: An International Comparison," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 63(3), pages 356-383, September.
    16. Hauner, David & Kyobe, Annette, 2010. "Determinants of Government Efficiency," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(11), pages 1527-1542, November.
    17. Antonis Adam & Sofia Tsarsitalidou, 2019. "Environmental policy efficiency: measurement and determinants," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-22, March.
    18. Muhammad Zia Ur Rehman & Ahsan Rafiq & Waseem Ishaque, 2018. "Government Sector Performance of Pakistan, South Asia and 34 OED Countries – International Policy Issues in the Contemporary World," Global Social Sciences Review, Humanity Only, vol. 3(3), pages 94-129, September.
    19. Donath, Liliana & Milos, Marius, 2008. "Public sector efficiency according to COFOG classification in the European Union," MPRA Paper 12927, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Ablam Estel Apeti & Bao-We-Wal Bambe & Aguima Aime Bernard Lompo, 2023. "Determinants of public sector efficiency: a panel database from a stochastic frontier analysis," Post-Print hal-04189811, HAL.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    welfare systems; European integration; cluster analysis.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gfe:pfrp00:00018. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Valeria De Bonis (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ierosit.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.