Subjective and Objective Indicators of Racial Progress

37 Pages Posted: 17 Jul 2010

See all articles by Betsey Stevenson

Betsey Stevenson

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Justin Wolfers

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Department of Economics; University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy; The University of Sydney - Discipline of Economics; Brookings Institution - Economic Studies Program; Peterson Institute for International Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); IZA Institute of Labor Economics; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute); Kiel Institute for the World Economy

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Date Written: July 16, 2010

Abstract

Subjective well-being data reveal that blacks are less happy than are whites. However, much of this racial gap in happiness has closed over the past 35 years. We investigate measures of subjective well-being that indicate that the well-being of blacks has increased both absolutely and relative to whites. These changes in well-being are found across various datasets and measures of subjective well-being. However the gains in happiness are concentrated among prime-age women and those living in the south. While the opportunities and achievements of blacks have improved over this period, the happiness gains far exceed that which can be attributed to these objective improvements

Keywords: Subjective Well-Being, Life Satisfaction, Happiness, Race, Civil Rights, Discrimination

JEL Classification: D6, I32, J1, J7, K1

Suggested Citation

Stevenson, Betsey and Wolfers, Justin, Subjective and Objective Indicators of Racial Progress (July 16, 2010). 5th Annual Conference on Empirical Legal Studies Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1641491 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1641491

Betsey Stevenson

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor ( email )

500 S. State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
United States

Justin Wolfers (Contact Author)

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Department of Economics ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://www.nber.org/~jwolfers

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HOME PAGE: http://www.nber.org/~jwolfers

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Kiel Institute for the World Economy ( email )

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