Week 11 Flashcards
define public policy
-how government maintains order or addresses citizens needs via action defined by constitution + legislature.
-reflects principles on which social laws are based (i.e., social, moral & economic values that tie society together).
define quality of life (QoL)
-general WB of individual/group.
-standard of health, comfort, and happiness experienced by individual/group.
what are the 3 indicators of QoL discussed in class?
- economic indicators
- social indicators
- SWB indicators
name 5 economic indicator examples
- GDP per capita
- unemployment rates
- avg work hours
- stock prices
- purchasing power
what does the model of economic behaviour & WB assume? what theory of WB is this related to?
-assumes that the main aspect of work is income: income = options = +WB.
-monetary desire-fulfillment theory.
what are the 3 main problems of the model of economic behaviour & WB?
assumes that WB = preference realization.
- choice: more options does not mean +WB. ex. what if we choose to fulfil a desire that does not +WB?
- markets: markets do not allow for +income to +options for all. ex. what if there is no available market for what benefits your WB? (connected to individual needs)
- costs: work preferences can be due to more than just income. ex. what if your work +WB but you don’t make a lot of $?
what are some problems with using economic indicators (5)?
- economic indicators present snapshots of economic health of nation.
- how can monetary value be assigned to other things that contribute to WB (ex. religion or spirituality)?
- cannot account for the shadow economy (ex. grey and black market).
- some goods/services become part of national indicators at expense of WB, but that cost is not accounted for (“externalities”) (ex. manufacturing processes cause pollution).
- cannot distinguish b/w beneficial vs detrimental products (ex. building more prisons).
what do social indicators assess?
societal circumstances that are important for making better lives for citizens.
name 5 social indicator examples
- violent crime rate
- level of SO2 in the air
- labour force participation
- enrolment in science & engineering
- home ownership
what are some problems with using social indicators (3)?
- based on “promotion of capabilities = WB,” but society’s values ≠ personal values.
- indicators will differ depending on nation bc cultural values will differ.
- who decides which indicators should be included? (often the “top-most” nations, e.g., netherlands).
bottomline:
-diff definitions/conceptualizations of same things.
-measurement issues (ex. what is the optimal level of something?)
what is the human development index (HDI)? what is the problem with the HDI?
-tracks and compares WB of nations by incorporating economic and social indicators.
-problem: does not overcome the unique problems of each approach.
be able to draw the diagram for HDI (slide 18)
besides the HDI, we can shift focus toward monitoring and promoting WB through policy. what are the benefits of this approach (4)?
- clear definition of SWB.
- reliable + valid measures of SWB.
- replicated evidence of the predictive validity of SWB for wide range of outcomes (across + within nations).
- closer to individual’s perceptions of WB.
note: does not mean SWB should replace other indicators – can add more info.
in regards to policies that promote physical & mentalhealth, our spending is rationed. what are these decisions based on (3)?
- age at which disease is likely to occur.
- proportion of population affected.
- how much people spend on ameliorating effects of disease (note: ignores health insurance).
how can SWB as an indicator help make policies that promote physical & mental health?
harvard study of adult development provided scientific insight into how to grow old and happy. can use this info.
what were the conclusions from vemuri & costanze’s (2006) “parks and green spaces” study?
-parks and green spaces positively contribute to WB.
-not due to third-variables, such as wealth.
-influence zoning & building permits.
