ABSTRACT
Creating a good life for citizens is considered to be an ultimate objective of public administration. But, what could be counted as a good life and how can this slippery idea be approached? Over decades, remarkable progress within positive psychology and related disciplines has suggested that, the concept of happiness could provide a vital avenue to approximate individuals’ quality of life. In particular, a substantial literature shows that, by asking a sample of respondents how happy they are could generate valuable information as to their well-being. Moreover, empirical work based on the concept of happiness has been demonstrated to embody profound policy implications, with ongoing efforts initiated to use happiness measures to inform policy making.
