ABSTRACT

The aim of public policy is to develop strategies that when implemented improve the condition of society. Public policy takes as its focus the group—the “public”—and considers the collective impact particular regulations will have on that group. In making public policy, policy-makers must analyze the problems a given society faces and the degree to which these problems warrant funding priority and then consider specifically which laws or other regulatory practices will help to solve the problems. Where happiness is embraced as an aim of public policy, it becomes pressing to understand and explore the impact new policies have on citizens' subjective well-being.