Subjective well-being, public agenda and better policymaking

Abstract

This article summarizes and updates information on subjective well-being and its role in the public agenda, design, and evaluation of public policies including its definition, measurement, main findings reported in the literature, and its use in the design-evaluation of public policies and introduction into government agendas. A narrative literature review was conducted, its results show that subjective well-being is a tool used to guide public action in developed countries; however, in Latin America, knowledge about it and its role in government is new and fragmented. In some countries, progress has been made by constant measurement through the national statistical agencies, but its incorporation into government performance is scarce.