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Should National Happiness be Maximized?

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  • Bruno S. Frey
  • Alois Stutzer

Abstract

Cross-disciplinary ?happiness research? has made big progress in the measurement of individual welfare. This development makes it tempting to pursue the old dream of maximizing aggregate happiness as a social welfare function. However, we postulate that the appropriate approach is not to maximize aggregate happiness in seeking to improve outcomes by direct policy interventions. The goal of happiness research should rather be to improve the nature of the processes through which individuals can express their preferences. Individuals should become better able to advance their idea of the good life, both individually and collectively.

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Paper provided by Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA) in its series CREMA Working Paper Series with number 2006-26.

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Date of creation: Oct 2006
Date of revision: Mar 2007
Handle: RePEc:cra:wpaper:2006-26
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Keywords: Economic policy; happiness; life satisfaction; political economy; social welfare; utility;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • D60 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - General
  • D70 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - General
  • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
  • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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Cited by:

  1. Kassenböhmer, Sonja C. & Schmidt, Christoph M., 2011. "Beyond GDP and Back: What is the Value-added by Additional Components of Welfare Measurement?," Ruhr Economic Papers 239, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
  2. Corrado, L. & Weeks, M., 2010. "Identification Strategies in Survey Response Using Vignettes," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1031, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
  3. repec:zbw:rwirep:0239 is not listed on IDEAS
  4. Marc Fleurbaey, Erik Schokkaert and Koen Decancq, . "What Good is Happiness?," OPHI Working Papers ophiwp020, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
  5. Ian Bache & Louise Reardon & Paul Anand, 2016. "Wellbeing as a Wicked Problem: Navigating the Arguments for the Role of Government," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 893-912, June.
  6. Sonja C. Kassenboehmer & Christoph M. Schmidt, 2010. "Beyond GDP and Back: What is the Value-added by Additional Components of Welfare Measurement?," Ruhr Economic Papers 0239, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.

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