×
DYNAMISM! Nobel Laureate Edmund Phelps has an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal today arguing that Europe's relatively lackluster economic performance over the past few decades is not the fault of the social welfare state, but of an economy and culture ill-suited to entrepreneurship and dynamism. Particularly weird are these poll results he found:
The values that might impact dynamism are of special interest here. Relatively few in the Big Three report that they want jobs offering opportunities for achievement (42% in France and 54% in Italy, versus an average of 73% in Canada and the U.S.); chances for initiative in the job (38% in France and 47% in Italy, as against an average of 53% in Canada and the U.S.), and even interesting work (59% in France and Italy, versus an average of 71.5% in Canada and the U.K). Relatively few are keen on taking responsibility, or freedom (57% in Germany and 58% in France as against 61% in the U.S. and 65% in Canada), and relatively few are happy about taking orders (Italy 1.03, of a possible 3.0, and Germany 1.13, as against 1.34 in Canada and 1.47 in the U.S.).Who are the 58 percent of the French, and the 27 percent of Americans, who don't want "opportunities for achievement" in their occupation? Who are all these people dismissive of "interesting work?" This may be my dynamic, American perspective talking, but these results show a surprisingly high number of folks who seem ill-disposed to puppies, smiles, and ice cream cones on summer days. --Ezra Klein