Português
Ciência-IUL
Publications
Publication Detailed Description
Journal Title
International Journal of Happiness and Development
Year (definitive publication)
2017
Language
English
Country
Switzerland
More Information
Web of Science®
Scopus
This publication is not indexed in Scopus
Google Scholar
Abstract
Until now little evidence has been found about the relationship between governments and happiness, but when cited, it has suggested a positive influence. Using micro-data from the last three waves of the European Quality of Life Survey and several measures for the weight of the government, such as structural government consumption, structural balance, and public debt, we show that government consumption and the other measures of government imbalances significantly decrease happiness in European countries. Additionally, we present robust evidence of a positive relationship between the quality of government and happiness. This evidence may lead politicians to reject the idea that bigger Governments lead to greater satisfaction. This result is consistent with people valuing (negatively) expectations for future tax increases, austerity, and possible corruption-related events.
Acknowledgements
--
Keywords
Happiness,Government size,Fiscal deficits,Government quality,Public debt,Europe
Fields of Science and Technology Classification
- Economics and Business - Social Sciences
Funding Records
| Funding Reference | Funding Entity |
|---|---|
| POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007659 | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia |
| UID/GES/00315/2013 | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia |
| UID/ECO/04007/2013 | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia |
Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations
With the objective to increase the research activity directed towards the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the possibility of associating scientific publications with the Sustainable Development Goals is now available in Ciência-IUL. These are the Sustainable Development Goals identified by the author(s) for this publication. For more detailed information on the Sustainable Development Goals, click here.
