ABSTRACT
The doubts that have been expressed concerning the survival characteristics of European models of social provision have led some commentators-particularly those of the political Right and those with a training in economics-to debate the possible virtues of redesigning the welfare state. Naturally enough, such commentators have shown an interest in other institutional designs for social provision elsewhere in the world, which appear to have the survival characteristics that the European welfare states supposedly lack. Since the major criticism of the European welfare state models is that they have progressively become an impediment to economic efficiency and a source of rising levels of unemployment, the main interest has been in welfare state arrangements which are seen as being exemplars to Europe in economic performance terms.
