ABSTRACT
One of the major subjects of public debate during the most recent national elections has been the state of the French economy. On one side are many who have pointed with pride to the fact that the national economy is the sixth largest in the world. Moreover, the natural population growth rate of France (second only to that of Ireland), its excellent national health care system, low infant mortality rate, and the increasing longevity of its citizens—all these suggest that its social model is one of the best among industrial democracies. On the other side, there has been a continuing output of writings about the steady decline of a country unable to adjust to the challenges of globalization.
