1. The Relevance of Comparative Politics

2020 ◽  
pp. 21-34
Author(s):  
Bo Rothstein
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Politics ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
State Capacity ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Comparative Political Science ◽  
Control Of Corruption

This chapter explains what comparative politics could be relevant for, such as informing the public debate and giving policy advice. It argues that comparative politics has a huge but sometimes underdeveloped potential for being relevant for the various aspects of human well-being, economic prosperity, and social justice that most people care deeply about. Empirical research shows that the manner in which a country’s political institutions are designed and the quality of the operations of these institutions have a strong impact on measures of population health, as well as subjective well-being and general social trust. One result is that democratization without increased state capacity and control of corruption is not likely to deliver increased human well-being. The chapter also considers whether democracy generates political legitimacy, and concludes by suggesting that comparative political science has so far paid relatively little attention to issues of state capacity, control of corruption, and institutional quality.

1. The Relevance of Comparative Politics

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Rothstein
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Politics ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
State Capacity ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Comparative Political Science ◽  
Control Of Corruption

This chapter explains what comparative politics could be relevant for, such as informing the public debate and giving policy advice. It argues that comparative politics has a huge but sometimes underdeveloped potential for being relevant for the various aspects of human well-being, economic prosperity, and social justice that most people care deeply about. Empirical research shows that the manner in which a country's political institutions are designed and the quality of the operations of these institutions have a strong impact on measures of population health as well as subjective well-being and general social trust. One result is that democratization without increased state capacity and control of corruption is not likely to deliver increased human well-being. The chapter also considers whether democracy generates political legitimacy and concludes by suggesting that comparative political science has so far paid relatively little attention to issues about state capacity, control of corruption, and institutional quality.

scholarly journals Social trust and emotional health in rural older adults in China: The mediating and moderating role of subjective well-being and subjective social status

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongsheng Chen ◽  
Zhenjun Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Subjective Social Status ◽  
Rural Elderly ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
The Impact

Abstract BackgroundChina is becoming an aging society. The emotional health of the elderly is gaining importance. Social trust is an important factor affecting emotional health, but existing studies have rarely considered the various effects of different types of social trust on rural elderly emotional health. Few studies have analysed the role of subjective well-being and subjective social status in the relationship between social trust and elderly emotional health.MethodsUsing the data of the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2016 (CLDS 2016) and regression models, this study selected 2084 rural respondents aged 60 years and above to analyse the impact of social trust on their emotional health. Social trust was divided into three categories: trust in family members, trust in friends, and trust in neighbours. This study also examined the mediating and moderating effects of subjective well-being and subjective social status on the relationship between social trust and emotional health.ResultsTrust in family members was significantly and positively associated with emotional health (coefficient=0.194, P<0.01) and subjective well-being (coefficient=0.177, P<0.01). Trust in friends was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient=0.097, P<0.01; coefficient=0.174, P<0.01, respectively). Trust in neighbours was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient=0.088, P<0.01; coefficient=0.177, P<0.01; respectively). Subjective well-being effectively reduced the impact of social trust in family, friends, and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly by 0.023, 0.022, and 0.023, respectively. Trust in friends and neighbours significantly and positively affected respondents’ subjective social status (coefficient=0.120, P<0.05; coefficient=0.090, P<0.10; respectively). Subjective social status effectively reduced the impact of social trust in friends and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly both by 0.004. The positive relationship between trust in family members and emotional health is weakened by subjective well-being.ConclusionsSocial trust, especially family relationships, play an important role in maintaining the emotional health of the rural elderly. In response to population ageing, more social policies must be introduced to care for the rural elderly and help them lead a happy and satisfactory life.

scholarly journals Analysis of Factors Affecting the High Subjective Well-Being of Chinese Residents Based on the 2014 China Family Panel Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (14) ◽  
pp. 2566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Xu ◽  
Haiyan Sun ◽  
Bo Zhu ◽  
Wei Bai ◽  
Xiao Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Logistic Models ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being

(1) Purpose: The purpose of our research is to understand the subjective well-being (SWB) of Chinese adult residents and its influencing factors and to identify the key groups and areas to provide a basis for the formulation of relevant policies to improve residents’ happiness. (2) Methods: In this study, we analyzed the influencing factors of SWB of individuals older than 16 years of age, according to the 2014 China Family Panel Study (CFPS). We weighted 27,706 samples in the database to achieve the purpose of representing the whole country. Finally, descriptive statistics were used for the population distribution, chi-square tests were used for univariable analysis, and binary logistic models were used for multivariable analysis. (3) Results: The response rate of SWB was 74.58%. Of the respondents, 71.2% had high SWB (7–10), with a U-shaped distribution between age and SWB. Females are more likely than males to rate themselves as happy. There is a positive ratio between years of education and SWB. Residents who have better self-evaluated income, self-rated health (SRH), psychological well-being (PWB), Body Mass Index (BMI), social trust, social relationships, and physical exercise have higher SWB. (4) Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that to improve residents’ SWB, we should focus more attention on middle-aged and low-income groups, particularly men in agriculture. The promotion of SWB should be facilitated by improvements in residents’ education, health status, and social support as well as by the promotion of smoking bans and physical exercise.

scholarly journals Patterns of Trust and Subjective Well-Being Across Europe: New Insights from Repeated Cross-Sectional Analyses Based on the European Social Survey 2002–2016

2019 ◽  
Vol 148 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Glatz ◽  
Anja Eder
Keyword(s):  
Social Trust ◽  
Well Being ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Institutional Trust ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Aggregate Level ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Positive Effect

Abstract This paper offers elaborate analyses regarding the effects of social- as well as institutional trust as parts of social capital on subjective well-being (SWB) by using data from the European Social Survey, including 36 countries and eight time-points between 2002 and 2016. We analyze (1) The development of trust and SWB on the aggregate level; (2) The effect of trust on SWB on the individual cross-sectional level; and (3) The longitudinal and cross-sectional effect of trust on SWB on the aggregate level while considering control variables based on previous research. We observe a weak positive trend regarding social trust as well as SWB over time, but no significant change in institutional trust. However, trends are far from homogeneous across countries. In accordance to previous studies, we find a positive effect of social trust on SWB. This effect holds on the individual cross-sectional level for every participating country, but also on the longitudinal level. In view of institutional trust, we see a positive effect on SWB on the individual and aggregate cross-sectional level, but not over time. Thus, this study particularly sheds new light on this relation, indicating that it´s cross-sectional relation is due to confounding variables. Moreover, we observe no relation between economic growth and SWB after controlling for unemployment, but a positive effect of decreasing unemployment and inflation on SWB. Our data suggests that establishing an environment with high social trust across Europe would be rewarded with a happy society.

scholarly journals The impact of subjective well-being under neuroleptic treatment on compliance and remission

2006 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-136 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
Antipsychotic Treatment ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
Long Term Prognosis ◽  
The Impact

The patients' perspective of antipsychotic treatment was largely neglected for a long period. It has only been during the last 10 years, with the development of atypical antipsychotics, that scientific interest in this issue has markedly increased. Numerous studies have shown that the majority of schizophrenic patients are able to fill out a self-rating scale in a meaningful way, and several self-report scales with sufficient internal consistency and good construct validity have been developed. The effects of antipsychotic treatment on psychopathology and on subjective well-being (SW) are not strongly related; the perspectives of the patient and his/her psychiatrist markedly differ. Recent research indicates that SW/quality of life, much more improved by atypical than by typical antipsychotics, has a strong impact on compliance, as well as on the chance of achieving remission. The data strongly suggest that a systematic evaluation of the patient's perspective of antipsychotic treatment is meaningful and necessary to increase compliance, functional outcome, and long-term prognosis.

Explaining imprisonment in Europe

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tapio Lappi-Seppälä
Keyword(s):  
Income Inequality ◽  
Welfare State ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Political Culture ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Social Indicators ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Explanatory Factors

This paper presents the findings of a comparative study that explores the linkages between the use of imprisonment in 30 countries and a range of potentially explanatory factors for variations in this measure of punitivity, including: crime levels; social indicators, such as those measuring investment in welfare programmes and income inequality; trust in other people and trust in political institutions; public fear of crime and public punitivity; and variations in political structure and forms of democracy. The main conclusions are that moderate penal policies have their roots in a consensual and corporatist political culture, in high levels of social trust and political legitimacy, and in a strong welfare state; and that more punitive policies that make more use of imprisonment are to be found in countries where these characteristics are less in evidence.

scholarly journals Explaining Individual Subjective Well-Being of Urban China Based on the Four-Capital Model

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuai Zhang ◽  
Binbin Liu ◽  
Dajian Zhu ◽  
Mingwang Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Social Connection ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Per Capita

A growing body of literature explains subjective well-being (SWB) from different perspectives. The statement of “built, human, social, and natural capital are necessary determinants of SWB” is named the four-capital model. Based on a cross-sectional dataset in 2013, which included 3293 individuals and covered the urban areas of most provinces in China, this paper employs the four-capital model to explain individual SWB of urban China. We select individual income and household income per capita as proxies of built capital; physical health and education as proxies of human capital; social connection and social trust as proxies of social capital; and air quality as a proxy of natural capital. In the four-capital model, household income per capita and physical health have almost the same and larger positive impacts on individual SWB of urban China; social connection, social trust, and air quality have smaller and diminishing positive impacts on individual SWB of urban China; and individual income and education are statistically insignificant. The empirical results offer guidance on how to achieve human-centered urbanization for China. This paper provides insights into how to further improve human well-being of urban residents in China and the applicability of the four-capital model in explaining SWB at the individual level.

Exposure to online hate material and subjective well-being

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teo Keipi ◽  
Pekka Räsänen ◽  
Atte Oksanen ◽  
James Hawdon ◽  
Matti Näsi
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Variables ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Cross National

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between subjective well-being (SWB) and exposure to online hate material using samples of Finnish and American youth and young adults. The authors aim to identify socio-demographic determinants of SWB and the social ties prevalent both online and offline that may be relevant to the discussion of how hate material associates with well-being. Design/methodology/approach The data are derived from online survey responses from both Finnish (n=555) and American (n=1,014) young people aged 15-30. The authors control for the possible effects of social trust, offline friendships, online victimisation and economic status, which have been found to associate with SWB in earlier studies. Findings The findings show a clear association that highlights the uniformity in how negatively intended material online affects young people, despite the inclusion of a cross-national comparison. The study confirms previous work concerning happiness and life satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The survey used was not designed solely to address issues of SWB and as such a more targeted set of questions may have resulted in more in-depth data. Also, structural determinants of SWB, social spheres, and tie strength were analysed through proxy measures. Practical implications The findings concerning new variables linked to well-being and victimization in the cross-national context provide a new point of reference in terms of online hate being associated with happiness. Originality/value The authors consider a number of descriptive characteristics, determining the relationship between these variables and participants’ happiness. Through this cross-national data set, new comparisons were made possible between internet users of both countries. The study combines many earlier findings with new variables and theoretical frameworks to add new perspectives to the understanding of how well-being is affected online among young people.

scholarly journals Does young adults’ life satisfaction promote tolerance towards immigrants? The role of political satisfaction and social trust

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliia Korol ◽  
Pieter Bevelander
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Political System ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Attitudes Toward Immigrants ◽  
Positive Attitudes

AbstractMuch prior research relies on the idea that antipathy towards immigrants is primarily driven by natives’ perceptions of the threat that immigrants represent to their economic, cultural or national well-being. Yet little is known about whether subjective well-being affects attitudes toward immigrants. This study aimed to examine whether life satisfaction would foster tolerance towards immigrants over time via the indirect influence of political satisfaction and social trust. The sample comprised young native adults (N = 1352; M age = 22.72; SD = 3.1) in Sweden. The results revealed that young adults who were satisfied with important life domains were more likely to extend their satisfaction towards the political system, which consequently resulted in a generalised expectation of trustworthiness and a widening of their circles of trusted others. This then translates into more positive attitudes toward immigrants. The findings provide evidence that it is the causal relationship between political satisfaction and social trust (rather than social trust in itself) which promotes the positive impact of life satisfaction on tolerance towards immigrants. The study highlights that fostering political satisfaction and social trust may play an important role in shaping young people’s positive attitudes towards immigrants.

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