How do national capitals shape citizen's life satisfaction?
Date Issued
2011
Date
2011
Author(s)
Jhou, Meng-Sian
Abstract
This study has three purposes: (1) to investigate the effect of the national capitals on citizens'' life satisfaction, once individual-level predictors have been taken into account; (2) to examine the satiation effects of the national economic capital on citizens'' life satisfaction; and (3) to scrutinize the roles of national economic, social and environmental capitals in citizens'' life satisfaction. Using data from the World Value Survey, World Development Indicators, and The International Emergency Disasters Database, this study employs three level age-period-cohort model to explore the influences of national capitals on citizens'' life satisfaction. The sample consists of 149,213 respondents from 66 countries over period 1995-2008. The results show that after controlling for the influence of individual factors, national contexts play an important role in individuals'' life satisfaction. Besides, this study provides support for the satiation effect of the national economic capital on citizens'' life satisfaction. In other words, after national economic saturation point is reached, people gain little in life satisfaction even as GDP rises further. Moreover, the results indicate that national social capital can improve citizens'' life satisfaction, and this effect does not vary significantly with nation economic capital. Finally, the finding illustrates that national environmental capital can enhance citizens'' life satisfaction, although this effect only appears when countries are affluent enough.
Subjects
life satisfaction
national capital
Easterlin paradox
World Value Survey
three level age-period-cohort model
Type
thesis
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