Happy Country, Happy Government: How Useful are International Happiness Rankings?
Think piece UNRISD
Nadine van Dijk, Lizzie Spencer, Viviana Ramirez, March 2014
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Summary :
Studying the progress of nations from a well-being perspective is becoming more and more popular. A well-being perspective offers potential advantages, including insights into what matters to people directly, and a comprehensive and relatively non-judgmental view on development. However, the contribution of a well-being lens remains limited by issues of well-being data availability, a focus on happiness, and hierarchical presentations through international happiness rankings. The authors argue for a more critical perspective on data collection and presentation.