Proceedings of the 8th Economics & Finance Conference, London

GOVERNANCE AND HAPPINESS: EVIDENCE FROM CITIZENS’ PERCEPTION IN PAKISTAN

SARAH ABDUL RAHIM, ASMA HYDER, QAZI MASOOD AHMED

Abstract:

This paper examines the impact of governance on happiness of residents in a developing society. Two major aspects of governance, i.e., democratic and technical governance are used for this analysis. Governance and happiness are measured on the basis of citizen’s perceptions through a survey from all over the country. We find a significant relationship between self perceived governance and happiness. Our estimates suggest that improvement in democratic and technical governance will increase happiness of its citizens. Results carry important implications for a developing country like Pakistan to improve the government institutions and their functioning in order to increase their effectiveness.

Keywords: Governance, Happiness, Democratic, Technical

DOI: 10.20472/EFC.2017.008.001

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