A healthy economy based on a happy country

Guests: ANGUS DEATON and ARTHUR A. STONE

How do we measure the health of the economy by how happy we are? Several national leaders and economists are increasingly looking at their countries’ collective happiness. The small Kingdom of Bhutan doesn’t use GNP (Gross National Product) or GDP (Gross Domestic Product) but GNH – “Gross National Happiness” – to reflect the status of their country. Our guest, Princeton economist ANGUS DEATON, has been developing a Well-Being index with academic colleagues including ARTHUR A. STONE, professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Stony Brook University. They have looked at different indicators including relative income, religion and family size. We’ll talk to Deaton and Stone about their research, including the charting the arc of how people feel during the week from “Blue Mondays” to “TGIF.”

Photo by Flickr user Marianne Janssens