1.3 Invariance Analysis
Many applications are severely limited by adopting the five axioms in Arrow's impossibility theorem. If social preferences are to serve as basis for evaluating the distribution of welfare in society, the five axioms produce a stalemate. Indeed, it is assumed in A5 that individuals can only rank alternatives, without any comparability among different individuals, i.e., no type of cardinal information is used and all types of interpersonal comparisons of welfare are excluded.