The Use of Happiness Research for Public Policy

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The Use of Happiness Research for Public Policy

JournalArticle (Originalarbeit in einer wissenschaftlichen Zeitschrift)

ID	1443305
Author(s)	Frey, Bruno S.; Stutzer, Alois
Author(s) at UniBasel	Stutzer, Alois
Year	2012
Title	The Use of Happiness Research for Public Policy
Journal	Social choice and welfare
Volume	38
Number	4
Pages / Article-Number	659-674
Abstract	Research on happiness tends to follow a "benevolent dictator" approach where politicians pursue people's happiness. This paper takes an antithetic approach based on the insights of public choice theory. First, we inquire how the results of happiness research may be used to improve the choice of institutions. Second, we show that the policy approach matters for the choice of research questions and the kind of knowledge happiness research aims to provide. Third, we emphasize that there is no shortcut to an optimal policy maximizing some happiness indicator or social welfare function since governments have an incentive to manipulate this indicator.
Publisher	Springer International
ISSN/ISBN	0176-1714
edoc-URL	http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A6043843
Full Text on edoc	Available
Digital Object Identifier DOI	10.1007/s00355-011-0629-z
ISI-Number	WOS:000302262200008
Document type (ISI)	Article

24/04/2024

Research Database / FORSCHUNGSDATENBANK