THE EFFECTS OF FISCAL POLICY PRACTICES ON HAPPINESS

Abstract

The concept of happiness is subjective and varies across cultures. However, it is generally agreed that certain factors play a crucial role in determining an individual's well-being. Existing literature on happiness suggests that elements such as income, life expectancy, health, liberty, and moral values contribute to life satisfaction. People’s happiness at the micro level can be considered as an indicator of the well-being of the society and the quality of life at the macro level. In this respect, increasing the happiness level of the society is one of the main discussion areas of today's public policies. While the exact relationship between fiscal policy and happiness is complex, many studies show that well-designed fiscal policies can contribute to higher levels of happiness by reducing inequality, improving public services, and providing individuals with a sense of security and stability. In this respect study aims to analyze the impact of fiscal policy practices on happiness in 33 OECD countries, which exhibit varying levels of happiness, over the period from 2010 to 2023. According to the findings of the study that employed the Ordered Probit Model, fiscal policies are more likely to have a greater impact on countries with higher levels of happiness.

Keywords

• Fiscal Policy
• Happiness
• Ordered Probit Model.

MALİYE POLİTİKASI UYGULAMALARININ MUTLULUK ÜZERİNE ETKİSİ

Abstract

Mutluluk kavramı özneldir ve kültürlere göre değişmektedir. Ancak, belirli faktörlerin bir bireyin refahını belirlemede önemli bir rol oynadığı genel olarak kabul edilmektedir. Mutluluk üzerine mevcut literatür, gelir, yaşam beklentisi, sağlık, özgürlük ve ahlaki değerler gibi unsurların yaşam memnuniyetine katkıda bulunduğunu ileri sürmektedir. İnsanların mikro düzeydeki mutluluğu, toplumun refahının ve makro düzeydeki yaşam kalitesinin bir göstergesi olarak düşünülebilir. Bu bakımdan toplumun mutluluk düzeyini artırmak, günümüz kamu politikalarının temel tartışma alanlarından biridir. Maliye politikası ile mutluluk arasındaki ilişki ise karmaşık olmakla birlikte, birçok çalışma iyi tasarlanmış maliye politikalarının eşitsizliği azaltarak, kamu hizmetlerini iyileştirerek ve bireylere güvenlik ve istikrar duygusu sağlayarak daha yüksek mutluluk düzeylerine katkıda bulunabileceğini göstermektedir. Bu bakımdan çalışma, 2010-2023 döneminde, farklı mutluluk düzeyine sahip 33 OECD ülkesinde maliye politikası uygulamalarının mutluluk üzerindeki etkisini analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Sıralı Probit Modeli’ni kullanan çalışmanın bulgularına göre, maliye politikalarının daha yüksek mutluluk düzeylerine sahip ülkelerde daha büyük bir etkiye sahip olma olasılığı daha yüksektir.

Keywords

• Maliye politikası
• mutluluk
• Sıralı Probit Model

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