The politics of subjective well-being

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People seek happiness, raising the question of whether policymakers should actively attempt to produce it. This issue, while longstanding in economics and politics, has gained practical relevance due to advancements in happiness measurement techniques, particularly subjective well-being evaluations. Following the economic crises of 2008, trust in market economies has diminished, prompting a shift toward more human-centered systems of social cooperation. As a result, a growing number of politicians, NGOs, and academics advocate for policies centered on subjective well-being. Dominic Kerner employs economic ethics theory to assess whether happiness-driven policymaking can effectively foster flourishing social cooperation. He focuses on two primary and opposing approaches: the "maximization" and "constitutional" approaches to subjective well-being politics. The analysis is framed within a three-level game paradigm, emphasizing that consistency among the understanding of the game, its rules, and players' actions is vital for successful social cooperation. By examining the structural conditions of social cooperation in contemporary society and utilizing various theoretical and empirical arguments, the study reveals potential downsides of both approaches that could undermine the necessary consistency for stable social cooperation. The conclusion suggests pathways toward reconciling economic ethics with subjective well-being research