A Study Of County Happiness Index

It has been accepted from time immemorial that a better running of county would lead to a better life of its people. In modern time, governing a county needs to do more on improving happiness index. Now during the18th National Party Congress, our party and government have approached new history of building a well-off society in an all-round way,and ask for a new concept of social development that should pay more attention on social equality,the welfare of people, environmental improvement, as well as economic development. As a result,national happiness index appeared on the scene. And in response,county happiness index has been proposed.Happiness research is a classic subject, especially in the field of psychology that it has been described systemically. Meanwhile, scholars of economics and sociology expand related research based on their different angles. And happiness is considered more than a psychological experience of individuals but also a complex result of many objective factors in the tiny view level. Then happiness research extents to macro research categories and operated to be national happiness index which could be used in measuring government performance and the country’s level of economic and social development. However,compared with researches in micro level, relevant researches in macro area,specially in county level, is very scarce, and yet not well-rounded.Based on above, I choose the county happiness index as research subjects,trying to find a fine interactive mechanism between county development,social construction, government service and resident satisfaction. In order to research the fact of county happiness better,I conducted the study in a random sample of125counties from both east,middle,west and northeast China.Based on questionnaire data, disclosed statistical data, and combined with a literature review, using some statistical analysis, like factor analysis, this PhD thesis determines the characteristic index of county happiness. It consists of objective county happiness index and subjective county happiness index,with2primary indexes,7secondary indexes and24the third indexes in objective index and3primary indexes,11secondary indexes in subjective index. Its covers nearly each area in county development, like economic affairs, social progress, government management environment, and resident satisfaction, can be measured. But for the lack of data about politics and culture, such factors are not well presented in the index system.On this basis, this PhD thesis launches deep research on the following issues:Firstly, makes some descriptive statistics about minor indexes and then discusses the correlation and interactions between them.Secondly,chooses Jiang Yin as a typical case and makes a thorough inquiry into the restrict factors for improving county happiness.Finally,this PhD thesis arrives at the following review:1. Factors that reflect individual’s life occupy an important place in the index system. The quality of giving satisfaction sufficient to meet residents’s demand or requirement is always the key part in happiness research.2. Happy experience is a combination of several different factors and it is complex. Only self-realization and self-development cannot achieve the goal of maximizing happiness. Further more,a better improve in environment, economic affairs, social progress, government management and equity are needed urgently.3. It is not a linear correlation between county resident’s satisfaction and county development. There is a deviation and such deviation maybe resulted by the difference of happiness cognation and needs between different individuals. Differences of county happiness between areas is a strong indication of the deviation. As finding in this research, counties in West China get a higher score on happiness index especially on subjective happiness index than other areas. Therefor,happiness measuring is never stationary but changing with social development and residents’s needs.4.The effective policy support is a key way in county development and in county happiness improvement. There are evidence to show that the government plays an important role in the development of West China and Northeast China. Especially investment in public services and infrastructure construction has been the most powerful measure to improve people life. As a result,enforcement of government regulations should be a promising new way of achieving better satisfaction of government service.5. Finally, more attention should be paid on special groups, such as the social vulnerable group. As reported in this thesis,unemployed people and workers in enterprises get lower score on subjective happiness index. The county government should give forceful policy support to help them.