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Assessing well-being in European regions. Does government quality matter?

Author

Listed:
  • Jesús Peiró-Palomino

    (Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain)

  • Andrés J. Picazo-Tadeo

    (Department of Applied Economics II, University of Valencia, Spain)

Abstract

This paper contributes a composite indicator of well-being for 168 European regions built with data from 10 well-being domains provided by the OECD Regional Well- being Dataset. Regions are then ranked according to their respective levels of well-being. Furthermore, the role of the quality of regional governments in explaining well-being dis- parities is assessed using data from the Quality of Government EU Regional Dataset. Results reveal notable well-being differences across European regions, especially between core and periphery ones, with the former enjoying higher well-being. In addition, government quali- ty is found to boost regional well-being, although uneven impacts are found for core and periphery regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Jesús Peiró-Palomino & Andrés J. Picazo-Tadeo, 2018. "Assessing well-being in European regions. Does government quality matter?," Working Papers 2018/06, Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain).
    • Handle: RePEc:jau:wpaper:2018/06
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Composite well-being indicators; European regions; government quality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • R50 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - General

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