Judging the Mix

How do you tell whether a mixed economy has found the right balance? Standard metrics include GDP growth, unemployment, inequality, life expectancy, and environmental quality. No single country leads on all of them.

Countries with strong social programs often score high on health and equality but lower on entrepreneurship. Market-heavy economies produce more billionaires and startups, but also more poverty and insecurity. There is no perfect mix — each society picks its priorities and lives with the tradeoffs.