Why can some countries perform better in resolving some social problems: A comparative study

Abstract

This study explores the rationale why some countries fare better in resolving social problems such as poverty and the COVID-19 pandemic. The simple model introduces the term of resident viability and points out that the solution to a social problem with a large ratio of nonviable to viable residents requires the mobilisation of more societal resources, and the affordable price ratio of societal to individual resources is determined by country characteristics such as the cultural background, political regime, ideology towards the free-market mechanism, government efficiency and social trust. This study also makes between-country comparisons and conducts preliminary regression analyses with cross-country data, and all the results are consistent with the model predictions on the relationship between country characteristics and country performances in fighting poverty and handling the COVID-19 pandemic.