The unsolvable dilemma of a Paretian policymaker

Authors
Publication date 2008
Journal Supreme Court Economic Review
Volume | Issue number 16
Pages (from-to) 89-98
Organisations
  • Interfacultary Research - Amsterdam Center for Law & Economics (ACLE)
  • Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) - Amsterdam Business School Research Institute (ABS-RI)
Abstract In this paper, we argue that social decision-making is subject to a fundamental conflict between consistency and completeness. We show that a consistent welfarist method of policy assessment, that is, one that never violates the Pareto principle, may be incomplete in the sense that it is incapable of providing a solution to important social welfare problems. Legal policy consequences are discussed.
Document type Article
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