American Economic Association

Review
Author(s): Andrew Clark
Review by: Andrew Clark
Source: Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 50, No. 3 (SEPTEMBER 2012), pp. 803-804
Published by: American Economic Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23270483
Accessed: 24-11-2015 09:47 UTC

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/
info/about/policies/terms.jsp
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content
in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship.
For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

American Economic Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Economic
Literature.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 14.139.244.174 on Tue, 24 Nov 2015 09:47:43 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Book Reviews

References
Axelrod,
"The

Robert,
Evolution
1390-96.

(4489):
Helen,
Bernhard,
2006. "Parochial

and William
D. Hamilton.
of Cooperation."
Science
and
Urs Fischbacher,
Altruism in Humans."

1981.
211

Ernst Fehr.
Nature 442

ence 318

636-40.
(5850):
in Biology
Theodosius.
1973. "Nothing
Dobzhansky,
in the Light of Evolution."
Makes
Sense
Except
American
Biology Teacher 35 (3): 125-29.
Garcia, Julian, and Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh.
2011. "Evolution
Altruism by Multi
of Parochial
Selection."

Evolution

and

Human

Behavior

32 (4): 277-87.
2012.
The Righteous
Mind:
Haidt,
Jonathan.
Why
Good People Are Divided
by Politics and Religion.
New York and Toronto:
Random
Pantheon
House,
Books.
van Veelen,
Equation."
412-26.

Matthijs.
Journal

2005.

"On

the Use

of Theoretical

of the Price
237 (4):

Biology

van Veelen, Matthijs, Julian Garcia, Maurice W. Sabe

Selection
and
lis, and Martijn Egas. 2012. "Group
Are Not Equivalent;
The Price
Inclusive
Fitness
vs. Models
and Statistics."
of
Equation
Journal
Theoretical
Biology 299: 64-80.

van

and Astrid Hopfensitz.

2007.
Veelen,
Matthijs,
"In Love and War: Altruism, Norm Formation,
and
Two Different Types of Group Selection."
Journal

of Theoretical
David
Wilson,
"Rethinking

Biology 249 (4): 667-80.

Sloan and Edward
O. Wilson.
2007.
Foundation
of Socio
the Theoretical
Review

Quarterly

biology."
327-48.

of

Matthijs

I
The

Health,

Biology
van

University

82

(4):

oj Amsterdam

and Welfare

Education,

An Economy
of Happiness:
of Well
Graham.
Focus
By Carol
Brookings
Institution
D.C.:
Brookings
Washington,

Pursuit

Being.
Books.

Press, 2011. Pp. vii, 164. $24.95. ISBN 978-0

8157-2127-7.
JEL 2011-1462
Brookings'
policy issues
short
series,

book
and

Focus

book

of interest

series

to a broad

by Carol

Graham

presents
economics

a number

aims

to present
This

audience.

contributes
of topics

to this
in the

of well-being.
into five chapters,
each of
which has extensive
endnotes.
The first previews
of the issues that will appear
later in the
a number
burgeoning
The book

is divided

data

can

the central

point

to the

add

that happiness
of individual

understanding
and
well-being
provided
by the analysis of income
revealed
preferences.
2 attempts
to set out what we mean by
Chapter
A broad
distinction
is made
between
happiness.

a fulfillinglife (with agency or capabilities to be

able

to change
one's life) and contentment.
called
the Aristotelian
and Benthamite

are

of happiness,
often refers

the
although
to Eudaimonic

being,
respectively.
of hedonic
question,
or Cantril's

Most

academic
and

surveys

on

These
views

literature

Hedonic
ask

well

some

kind

satisfaction,

happiness,
life" (ladder)
possible
question.
in the empirical
is the
literature
and capability,
on the
meaning

"best

An open

question
to which
degree
one hand,
and happiness,
related.
}. S. Mill's happy

on

the

other,

are

cor

that these

pig suggests
but in practice
be
synonyms;
they could
It is however
that
possible
closely matched.

are

not

quite
at
acquiring
agency
may lead to lower happiness,
least in the short run. As such, potentially
valuable
and
long-run
policies
may be initially disruptive,
individuals
too

certainly

dislike

uncertainty.
Equally,
may reduce
any incentive
there are a number
of intrigu
Overall,
is not
the development
here, although

much

happiness

for action.
ing points

always particularly
easy to follow.
is on surer ground
Carol
Graham
the World,
on Happiness
around
on

Veelen

makes

and

book,

912-15.
(7105):
and Samuel
Bowles.
2007.
"The
Choi, Jung-Kyoo,
Coevolution
of Parochial
Altruism and War." Sci

level

803

in chapter
3,
which
draws

some

Oxford
University
parts of her recent
book
of the same
name.
Much
research

Press

concerned

has

don't

people

live

but
most
countries;
developed
in developed
countries.
Cross

reveals
analysis
country
empirical
the happiness
correlates
are very
. . . but not all of them.
countries
the effect
may be
relative

of labor-force

more

choice

to developing

that
similar

some

of

across

In particular,
that there
suggests
in this respect
in developed
this is a
countries.
Overall,
status

useful

when
we
history of what happens
to individuals
well-being
questions
in very disparate
countries.
4 deals
with adaptation
and
social
Chapter
potted
identical

ask

If either
then
it is
comparisons.
pertain,
to
know
how
much
X
an
individual
enough
to

evaluate

know

how

have

(social

individual

their

not
has

we also
need
to
well-being;
X others in the reference
group
or how much
X the
comparisons),

much
used

to have

in the past

This content downloaded from 14.139.244.174 on Tue, 24 Nov 2015 09:47:43 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

(adaptation).

Journal of Economic

804

At least

two

Literature, Vol. L (September

useful

do
frank: research
results
frequently
quite
walk in step with each
other, and we really
what
don't know what is going on. That is indeed

are bought
out here.
points
on the
of adaptation
First,
depends
speed
under
consideration.
phenomenon
Although
evidence
remains
individuals
seem
to
sketchy,

often

to crime
and to corruption,
whereas
adapt
they
do not adapt
to freedom.
individuals
Further,

cover

is one rea
to uncertainty
(which
adapt
inter
son why crises reduce
so
much,
well-being
The
second
is that it can be rather
diffi
alia).

sometimes

the

do

not

cult

to be

a utilitarian

Are

unhappy

in these

circumstances.

rich

with high expectations

people
than
the
learnt
deserving
poor who have
to the "bad
to expect
little? If individuals
adapt
of high corruption,
does that mean
equilibrium"
more

that

we

don't

need

to worry about
it any more?
incarnations
of Sen's happy
slaves
wan
Various
this chapter.
der freely throughout
The last chapter
briefly refers to Gross National
versus

Happiness

GNP
out

progress,
starting
cism that some
economic
to the
to

kind

HDI,

of society
alternatives

The

live.
(2)

Various

discussed

measures

respect

cess.

This

the

has

writing
middle
uneasy
and
doubtful

Clapham

be

of each,

2
as chapter
as well as the

not

ground

terms

of

reference

it could

been

be

argued
suc
unqualified
to the difficulty

an

witness
book"
between

of

that

treads

academic

the

treatise

its medium-brow

remit,

there

is some

techie

of
to appeal
to it as a one-stop-shop
activity over the past ten or so years.
students
who wonder
just what it is that
able

Graham's
For

"Happiness
it is surely
and whether
ably

quite

Economists"

(a

terrible

term,

but

are up to,
late to change
it now)
it is of any use, this is however
argu
The
tone
is
a useful
of work.
piece
too

times

not

do

the

the answers

works

so in another,

is often

may well
country
of causality
discussion
and our interaction
absent,
feels

tectonic:

long
by serious
to speak)
were

followed
(so

of research
the representation
to dissuade
interested
students

in this book

made

from contributing
the potential
for dis

area:

it is precisely
it so attractive.

that

somewhat

makes

be

In the

in this

that Carol
respect
but undoubtedly
fragmented,
works the best.
Paris

Labor

Economy
Efraim
Cambridge

School

and Demographic
the

and

Migration

In

are not all cut

in one

frighteningly
sometimes
Psychology
of
misleading
periods
quiet
I would
clashes.
be unhappy

ate, book

results,
field.

the

with

covery
may well

of poor

weight

contradictory
of how I see the

Economics,
what

of a patchy
some
evolving,
like a regularity,

and

analysis,
is a truthful rendition
Happiness
and dried:

sense

under

collapsing

bad

data,

The

continually
what looks

passion

Policy

and

Sadka,
and

London:

Clark

of Economics

Economics
State:

Welfare
Formation.

it

end,

Graham's

Andrew

amount
and a certain
of
language
area would
seem
of the general
prior knowledge
On the other hand,
academics
to be presumed.
will

of knowledge,
into
accreting

preference

man
self-help
pseudo-scientific
is no guarantee
that the man in the
will be able to read this book.
omnibus

There

Despite
rather

direction,

series,

bears
surely
a "happiness

of

ual.

to
Focus

Brookings'
that this book

is like.

of research

(4)

in terms of
knowledge
are
reviewed
here.
want,

"should"

the

the

in our

lacunae

a society

With

(3)

(1)

a lot

scores.
well-being
of the latter are available,
but

do not all pull in the same

noted.
The pros and cons
what

are

not

to the

criti

established

activity does not lead

in which
we would
want

and

accounts,

numerous

the

list accounts,

objective

satisfaction

of societal

as a measure
from

2012)

Political

Assaf

By

Benjarong
MIT
Press,

Razin,

Suwankiri.
2011.

Pp.

xii, 168. $32.00. ISBN 978-0-262-01610-0.

JEL 2011-1472
Restrictions
labor

on

are

tortion

arguably
that besets

variety of studies
tion in barriers
welfare
and

benefits

Winters

the

international

of

mobility

the

dis

single
largest
policy
A
international
economy.
that
even
a
small
reduc
suggest
to migration
will result in large
the

to the global
Pritchett
2003;

economy
2006).

(Walmsley

Nevertheless,

the huge gains from easing restrictions

to
despite
labor mobility, no forum of multilat
international
this issue.
It is simply
addresses
negotiations
not on the negotiating
table. Indeed,
governments
toward
backlash
the prospective
point
against
eral

immigration
very recently

until
as being responsible.
However,
there has been very little analytical

This content downloaded from 14.139.244.174 on Tue, 24 Nov 2015 09:47:43 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions