Measuring and Using Happiness to Support Public Policies

John Helliwell

No 26529, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper summarizes the philosophical and empirical grounds for giving a primary role to the evaluations that people make of the quality of their lives. These evaluations permit comparisons among communities, regions, nations and population subgroups, enable the estimation of the relative importance of various sources of happiness, and provide a well-being lens to aid the choice of public policies to support well-being. Available results expose the primacy of social determinants of happiness, and especially the power of generosity and other positive social connections to improve the levels, distribution and sustainability of well-being.

JEL-codes: D6 I31 Z18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hap, nep-hpe and nep-ltv
Note: PE POL
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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