This paper addresses an important methodological issue concerning the construction of a composite indicator, and in particular composite indicators of national competitiveness; these indicators often serve as a benchmark for policymakers and others to judge the relative success of their country....

Economic efficiency – understood in terms of jurisdictions providing a maximum amount of output for a given level of inputs – is one potential means to evaluate public policies. Various approaches, however, co-exist to measure the (technical) efficiency of organizations. Given that these...

The present paper explores sources of technical (in)efficiency of Flemish municipalities in their production of local public goods (in the year 2000). In assessing inefficiency derivation, we focus on socio-economic and political characteristics of the municipalities as potential source. Our...