Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/127349 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
Discussion Paper Series No. 531
Publisher: 
University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics, Heidelberg
Abstract: 
Does economic freedom increase the utility of an average citizen? Public choice theory in particular has emphasized the shortcomings of governments and voting processes, and the advantages of relying on markets and individual decision making. However, an increasing amount of people are refusing to accept classical measures like GDP as signs of improvements in welfare. Data on subjective well-being allow economists to test if economic freedom really does improve the overall quality of life. However, existing studies have either failed to control for necessary control variables or lacked theoretical foundation. This paper explains economic and psychological reasons why the influence of economic freedom reaches beyond material well-being. Empirical results from a panel of 86 countries over the 1990-2005 period suggest that economic freedom indeed has a positive effect on happiness. Specifically legal security and property rights, access to sound money, and freedom from excessive regulation are significantly positive throughout the analysis. Regarding freedom to trade, the results show that particularly regulatory trade barriers have a significant negative effect. The positive effect depends on socio-demographic characteristics and is, on average, stronger for poorer countries and left-wing voters, and varies with age.
Subjects: 
economic freedom
happiness
life Satisfaction
government size
JEL: 
H11
A13
D60
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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