Opinion: The economy is on the rise. So why aren’t we getting happier?

Leading social scientists, including Nobel Prize winners such as Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton, havethat the relationship between wealth and well-being is shakier than we might assume. While it’s crucial to meet basic needs and ensure time for leisure, growth in gross domestic product above a relatively modest per-capita level doesn’t usually equate to more self-reported life satisfaction.

Policy-makers should take note. In Canada and around the world, projections of economic growth, as measured by GDP, tend to dominate official decision-making on matters from taxes to health care to environment. It’s an orientation that leaders across the political spectrum generally share. Yet, if the goal of government is to help meet real human needs and facilitate high quality of life – rather than simply optimizing a set of statistics – then policy-makers should be paying attention to what generates real human thriving.

As people question the legitimacy of our prevailing economic and political institutions, it’s high time to start thinking about new ways of assessing social progress. Reimagining GDP has long been a priority for the political left, especially given the ways that standard measures fail to account for the full costs of pollution and inequality. But the issue now resonates across the political spectrum.

GlobeDebate Who benefits suffering? Ask them!

GlobeDebate Just read about 6 comments from people who couldn’t be damned to read the article (from their guesswork responses) yet feel the need to express their “feel facts” anyway. Society is basically just going to hell.

GlobeDebate Inept governments..excessive taxation..no national growth strategy..tax layering federally, provincially and municipally. Inability to simplify tax codes..lack of incentives to work beyond 65.. government greed and paralysis on money laundering..consequent housing crisis..etc

GlobeDebate People adapt, work hard and move forward, however they wouldn't need to if the government was for them boosting the economy, helping small and large businesses. Instead they sell off OUR energy at give away prices and fail the Canadian people...And you want them happy? Pathetic

GlobeDebate The economy had three quarters of almost ZERO PERCENT GROWTH THATS ALMOST A RECESSION YOU IDIOTS it’s slowing quit lying for Trudeau!!!!

GlobeDebate The global economy may be growing but our growth is in the public service. Increasing our debt is not sustainable. Canada needs to support business, encourage investment, improve productivity. More government bureaucracy and McHappy jobs don’t cut it if we want to compete!

GlobeDebate Unfortunately we have politicians that like to tell us That we are not well off andctgry can make us better. It is like every advertising project that says we will be great if we buy or use or consume this. old white men telling us how to live..and women just falling into line.

GlobeDebate I keep hearing how wonderful the economy is.Why do I and everyone I know doesn’t feel it. Jobs created are 2nd jobs just to get by.

GlobeDebate Because BULLSHIT.

GlobeDebate More government control and involvement in our lives? More public $ spent on statscan to study us and invade our privacy? No thank you. To increase happiness of Cdn's remove Trudeau gov't in October.

GlobeDebate The socio-economic system you have (milder version of brutal American one) will never make majority happy, what you need for a copuntry to be up there on Happy scale (like Scandinavians that have far happier/better system for all). Yes you have very happy elite living it up.

KerryLynneFindl GlobeDebate FakeNews

GlobeDebate Ask everyday CDN’s if they think their lives are any better than they were 4 yrs ago and my guess is that they would say they are no better off despite the libs telling them how good things are.

GlobeDebate Because leftist media calls everyone a racist

GlobeDebate Well... according to the UK's Guardian, in the case for women particularly, it because they have husbands and children.

GlobeDebate Because the economy is represented by the rise in the stock market, not wage growth, savings and disposable income. So the rich are definitely happy, but everyone else is getting squeezed.

GlobeDebate The constant partisan attacks on our sensibilities by opinion pieces in the media disguised as news which is consistently telling us how terrible our economy is doing because of this government or that leader.

GlobeDebate It's not going into our pockets.Its going into the bloated government system where you put a million in and get 500k out.

GlobeDebate Cause it’s driven by a debt obsessed government...not natural growth...nice try fake news

GlobeDebate The economy does not bring happiness. Better health, better roads, caring employers, fair pay.... this is what brings happiness. Men like Dougie Ford could care less.

GlobeDebate What makes you think there's even a sliver of correlation or causation between these two things?

GlobeDebate Because is on the rise only if media gets paid to write, political speeches and fake stat Canada results on wrong examples so in plain English BS..no pay increases whatsoever and you just got all prices hiked another 5%. Next one who governs this country would do exactly the same

GlobeDebate Fake news?

GlobeDebate One is not dependent and related to the other exclusively.

GlobeDebate We are a very insular society.

GlobeDebate 1) Because an economy on the rise does not apply to everyone. 2) Because economy on the rise doesn't come close to healing the deep dive of the past decade.

GlobeDebate Cuz we spend our time beating up and demonizing on each other

GlobeDebate The only thing on the rise is the cash going to the government!

GlobeDebate Probably because we tend to consume so much info (visual & written) which is negative with end result being that our overwhelming outlook follows this pattern. Economic results & how they relate to our well-being don't always easily correlate on instantaneous level we desire

GlobeDebate Conservatives are making us unhappy with all their propaganda.

GlobeDebate Is this question for AndrewScheer ?

GlobeDebate Because it’s actually not on the rise and the “peasants” know it

GlobeDebate I’m happier than I’ve ever been!

GlobeDebate The NDP are taxing us to death

GlobeDebate Maybe it's because the benefits of a rising economy mainly accrue to the rich while the rest of us see little change!

GlobeDebate Because we have been living to high off the hog for too many years because of excessive government spending and people’s expectations are way too high. People are spoiled and will never be happy.

GlobeDebate A 1.2% GDP equates to the economy on the rise now that is hilarious. 80% of the middle class paying more taxes under Trudeau is why Canadians are not happy.

GlobeDebate We are broke like most governments in Canada

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