Social Value in Public Policy

Abstract

This book considers the role of social value in the making and implementation of public policy, taking into account how concepts such as subjective well-being (SWB) can be used to measure the expected impact of enacted policies. It argues that there is no evidence that markets have contributed to greater well-being, and that moments of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, represent an opportunity to re-orientate policymaking and policy implementation away from those which favour markets, and towards those which place subjective well-being at their core. Following this premise, the author explores the elements that should be considered in a future society that prioritises social value.