<P> The Socialist Republic of Vietnam has pursued similar economic reforms, though less extensive, which have resulted in a socialist - oriented market economy, a mixed economy in which the state plays a dominant role intended to be a transitional phase in establishment of a socialist economy . </P> <P> The Republic of Cuba, under the leadership of Raul Castro, has begun to encourage co-operatives and self - employment in a move to reduce the central role of state enterprise and state management over the economy, with the goal of building a co-operative form of socialism . </P> <P> Many of the industrialized, open countries of Western Europe experimented with one form of social democratic mixed economies or another during the 20th century . These include Britain (mixed economy and welfare state) from 1945 to 1979, France (state capitalism and indicative planning) from 1945 to 1982 under dirigisme, Sweden (social democratic welfare state) and Norway (state capitalist mixed economy) to the present . They can be regarded as social democratic experiments, because they universally retained a wage - based economy and private ownership and control of the decisive means of production . </P> <P> Nevertheless, these western European countries tried to restructure their economies away from a purely private capitalist model . Variations range from social democratic welfare states, such as in Sweden, to mixed economies where a major percentage of GDP comes from the state sector, such as in Norway, which ranks among the highest countries in quality of life and equality of opportunity for its citizens . Elements of these efforts persist throughout Europe, even if they have repealed some aspects of public control and ownership . They are typically characterized by: </P>

There is no profit motive in the distribution of goods and services in