ABSTRACT
This study examines the relationship between democratic quality and subjective well-being in order to fill the gap in the current debate about the influence of democracy on well-being. Using the proposed model of (Ringen 2010), democratic quality as a latent variable is measured by using three constructs: the quality of government, political participation, and degree of civil liberties. Subjective well-being is measured by using three constructs: life satisfaction, positive effect, and negative effect. This study was conducted using a correlational design involving 1500 participants (Male = 752, Female = 748, Mean Age = 33.85) from two of the most populous islands in Indonesia (Java and Sumatra). Respondents were selected by using multistage random sampling. Structural equation modeling supports the hypothesis that democratic quality is a predictor of subjective well-being.
