Perspectives from the Happiness Literature and the Role of New Instruments for Policy Analysis

Arbeitspapier

After having been ignored for a long time by economists, happiness is becoming an object of serious research in 21st century economics. In Section 2 we sketch the present status of happiness economics. In Section 3 we consider the practical applicability of happiness economics, retaining the assumption of ordinal individual utilities. In Section 4 we introduce a cardinal utility concept, which seems to us the natural consequence of the happiness economics methodology. In Section 5 we sketch how this approach can lead to a normative approach to policy problems that is admissible from a positivist point of view. Section 6 concludes.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper ; No. 07-049/3

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; History of Economic Thought: Microeconomics ; Economic Methodology ; Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement ; General Welfare; Well-Being ; Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
• Subject: Happiness economics ; subjective well-being ; equivalence scales ; economic policy ; Zufriedenheit ; Lebensqualität ; Wirtschaftspolitik

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): van Praag, Bernard M.S.
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Tinbergen Institute
• (where): Amsterdam and Rotterdam
• (when): 2007

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/86502
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET