IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/76902.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Government size, intelligence and life satisfaction

Author

Listed:
  • Salahodjaev, Raufhon

Abstract

Recent studies show that psychological factors such as cognitive ability play an important role in the empirical modeling of life satisfaction and suggest that intelligence is an important proxy for political and intellectual capital. These articles, however, only explore the direct effect of intelligence on subjective wellbeing. In this study, we conjecture that intellectual capital is a mechanism through which the size of bureaucracy impacts life satisfaction. Using data from 147 countries, we find that the interaction term between nation-IQ and government size is positive and significant, suggesting that government size increases life satisfaction most in high-IQ countries and least in countries with lower levels of cognitive abilities.

Suggested Citation

  • Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2017. "Government size, intelligence and life satisfaction," MPRA Paper 76902, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:76902
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/76902/1/MPRA_paper_76902.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2015. "Intelligence and Shadow Economy: a Cross-Country Empirical Assessment," MPRA Paper 61976, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Christian Bjørnskov & Axel Dreher & Justina Fischer, 2007. "The bigger the better? Evidence of the effect of government size on life satisfaction around the world," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 130(3), pages 267-292, March.
    3. Potrafke, Niklas, 2012. "Intelligence and corruption," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 114(1), pages 109-112.
    4. Isaac Kalonda-Kanyama & Oasis Kodila-Tedika, 2012. "Quality of Institutions : Does Intelligence Matter?," WORKING PAPERS SERIES IN THEORETICAL AND APPLIED ECONOMICS 201206, University of Kansas, Department of Economics, revised Apr 2012.
    5. Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2016. "Intelligence and deforestation: International data," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 20-27.
    6. Eiji Yamamura, 2011. "The Influence of Government Size on Economic Growth and Life Satisfaction," Japanese Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(4), pages 28-64.
    7. Nathan Nunn & Diego Puga, 2012. "Ruggedness: The Blessing of Bad Geography in Africa," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 94(1), pages 20-36, February.
    8. Kodila-Tedika, Oasis & Rindermann, Heiner & Christainsen, Gregory, 2014. "Cognitive capital, governance, and the wealth of nations," MPRA Paper 57563, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Elia Kacapyr, 2008. "Cross‐country determinants of satisfaction with life," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 35(6), pages 400-416, May.
    10. Antonio Rodríguez Andrés & Raufhon Salahodjaev, 2016. "Do cognitive able societies nurture entrepreneurs?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(3), pages 1453-1462.
    11. Di Tella, Rafael & MacCulloch, Robert, 2008. "Gross national happiness as an answer to the Easterlin Paradox?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 22-42, April.
    12. Ruut Veenhoven & Yowon Choi, 2012. "Does intelligence boost happiness? Smartness of all pays more than being smarter than others," International Journal of Happiness and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 1(1), pages 5-27.
    13. Easterlin, Richard A., 1974. "Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? Some Empirical Evidence," MPRA Paper 111773, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2016. "Intelligence and defense spending: a cross-country evidence," MPRA Paper 70252, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Libman, Alexander & Obydenkova, Anastassia, 2013. "Communism or communists? Soviet legacies and corruption in transition economies," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 119(1), pages 101-103.
    16. Ram, Rati, 2007. "IQ and economic growth: Further augmentation of Mankiw-Romer-Weil model," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 7-11, January.
    17. Andersen, Thomas Barnebeck & Dalgaard, Carl-Johan, 2013. "Power outages and economic growth in Africa," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 19-23.
    18. Alexander Libman & Anastassia Obydenkova, 2014. "Governance of Commons in a Large Nondemocratic Country: The Case of Forestry in the Russian Federation," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 44(2), pages 298-323.
    19. Salahodjaev, Raufhon & Azam, Sardor, 2015. "Intelligence and gender (in)equality: empirical evidence from developing countries," MPRA Paper 66295, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Raufhon Salahodjaev & Barno Abdullaeva & Shakhnoza Tosheva & Arletta Isaeva, 2021. "Female Parliamentarians and the Distribution of National Happiness," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(4), pages 1571-1585, August.
    2. Yu-Chuan Chen & Yung-Ho Chiu & Tzu-Han Chang & Tai-Yu Lin, 2023. "Sustainable Development, Government Efficiency, and People’s Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1549-1578, April.
    3. Raufhon Salahodjaev & Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, 2021. "The Link between Food Security and Life Satisfaction: Panel Data Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-9, March.
    4. Wang, Quan-Jing & Feng, Gen-Fu & Wang, Hai-Jie & Chang, Chun-Ping, 2021. "The impacts of democracy on innovation: Revisited evidence," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    5. Margaret Antonicelli & Michele Rubino & Filomena Maggino, 2023. "Demographic and Economic Determinants of Digitalization in Healthcare: An Exploratory Analysis of the Italian Local Health Centers," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 169(1), pages 529-552, September.
    6. Ghulam Raza Sargani & Yuansheng Jiang & Abbas Ali Chandio & Yun Shen & Zhao Ding & Asif Ali, 2023. "Impacts of livelihood assets on adaptation strategies in response to climate change: evidence from Pakistan," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 6117-6140, July.
    7. Murtazashvili, Ilia & Murtazashvili, Jennifer & Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2019. "Trust and deforestation: A cross-country comparison," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 111-119.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Odilova, Shoirahon, 2017. "Cognitive abilities, institutions and software piracy: a note," MPRA Paper 76861, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Salahodjaev, Raufhon & Odilova, Shoirahon & Andrés, Antonio R., 2016. "Intelligence and Crime: A novel evidence for software piracy," MPRA Paper 71569, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Solieva, Mastura, 2017. "Cognitive abilities and sustainable development: a global analysis," MPRA Paper 77055, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2015. "Does intelligence help fighting inflation: an empirical test?," MPRA Paper 66882, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Simplice A. Asongu & Oasis Kodila-Tedika, 2018. "“This One Is 400 Libyan Dinars, This One Is 500”: Insights from Cognitive Human Capital and Slave Trade," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(2), pages 291-306, April.
    6. Simplice A. Asongu & Oasis Kodila-Tedika, 2018. "“This one is 400 Libyan dinars, this one is 500†: Insights from Cognitive Human Capital and Slave Trade," AFEA Working Papers 18/014, African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA).
    7. Odilova, Shoirahon, 2016. "Patent protection, intelligence and economic growth: a cross-country empirical investigation," MPRA Paper 70842, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Odilova, Shoirahon & Xiaomin, Gu, 2016. "IPR protection, intelligence and economic growth: a cross-country empirical investigation," MPRA Paper 71226, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Salahodjaev, Raufhon & Yuldashev, Oybek, 2016. "Intelligence and greenhouse gas emissions: Introducing Intelligence Kuznets curve," MPRA Paper 68997, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Oasis Kodila-Tedika & Simplice A. Asongu, 2015. "The Effect of Intelligence on Financial Development: A Cross-Country Comparison," Research Africa Network Working Papers 15/002, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    11. Kodila-Tedika, Oasis & Asongu, Simplice, 2015. "Intelligence, Human Capital and HIV/AIDS: Fresh Exploration," MPRA Paper 68320, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2016. "Intelligence and deforestation: International data," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 20-27.
    13. Jorge Garza-Rodriguez & Natalia Almeida-Velasco & Susana Gonzalez-Morales & Alma P. Leal-Ornelas, 2020. "The Impact of Human Capital on Economic Growth: the Case of Mexico," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(2), pages 660-675, June.
    14. Oasis Kodila†Tedika & Simplice A. Asongu, 2018. "Does Intelligence Affect Economic Diversification?," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 19(1), pages 74-93, February.
    15. Evgeniya, Gorlova, 2016. "TFP and Intelligence: a cross-national empirical evidence," MPRA Paper 69207, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Azam, Sardor, 2017. "A cross-country empirical test of cognitive abilities and innovation nexus," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 128-136.
    17. Burhan, Nik Ahmad Sufian & Che Razak, Razli & Rosli, Muhamad Ridhwan & Selamat, Muhamad Rosli, 2017. "The Bell Curve of Intelligence, Economic Growth and Technological Achievement: How Robust is the Cross-Country Evidence?," MPRA Paper 77469, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Eshchanov, Bahtiyor & Abdurazzakova, Dilnovoz & Yuldashev, Oybek & Salahodjaev, Raufhon & Ahrorov, Farkhod & Komilov, Asliddin & Eshchanov, Ruzumboy, 2021. "Is there a link between cognitive abilities and renewable energy adoption: Evidence from Uzbekistan using micro data," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    19. Salahodjaev, Raufhon & Azam, Sardor, 2015. "Intelligence and gender (in)equality: empirical evidence from developing countries," MPRA Paper 66295, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Murtazashvili, Ilia & Murtazashvili, Jennifer & Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2019. "Trust and deforestation: A cross-country comparison," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 111-119.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    intelligence; government size; life satisfaction;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F0 - International Economics - - General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:76902. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.