Premium
HAPPINESS, GROWTH, AND PUBLIC POLICY †
Author(s) -
EASTERLIN RICHARD A.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
economic inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1465-7295
pISSN - 0095-2583
DOI - 10.1111/j.1465-7295.2012.00505.x
Subject(s) - happiness , economics , population , feeling , development economics , social policy , demographic economics , political science , market economy , sociology , psychology , law , social psychology , demography
If society's goal is to increase people's feelings of well‐being, economic growth in itself will not do the job. Full employment and a generous and comprehensive social safety net do increase happiness. Such policies are arguably affordable not only in higher income nations but also in countries that account for most of the population of the less‐developed world. These conclusions are suggested by an analysis of a wide range of evidence on happiness in countries throughout the world . ( JEL I31, I38, O21, F20, D60, E60)