Working Paper: NBER ID: w11807
Authors: John F. Helliwell
Abstract: This paper summarizes recent empirical research on the determinants of subjective well-being. Results from national and international samples suggest that measures of social capital, including especially the corollary measures of specific and general trust, have substantial effects on well-being beyond those flowing through economic channels. Cross-national samples (supported by parallel analysis of suicide data) show large well-being effects from social capital and from the quality of government. Finally, Canadian life-satisfaction data show that several non-financial job characteristics, and especially the climate of workplace trust, have very large income-equivalent effects.
Keywords: Wellbeing; Social Capital; Public Policy
JEL Codes: I31; Z13
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| social capital (Z13) | subjective wellbeing (I31) |
| trust (G21) | subjective wellbeing (I31) |
| quality of government (H11) | subjective wellbeing (I31) |
| workplace trust (J29) | subjective wellbeing (I31) |