Happiness as a goal for public policy

Reduced rate of $100 available to students, retirees, and unemployed.

While economists can offer recommendations to policy makers on how to improve our economic output, we’re not as far along in developing recommendations for improving people’s happiness. This conference will take stock of our existing research on happiness and consider whether governments should have happiness as an objective for public policy and, if so, what policies they should adopt.  Join us for our full day conference as we hear from leading researchers in this field and consider findings from new Canadian research carried out by the Centre for the Study of Living Standards.

Topics to be discussed at the Conference:

• Determinants of Happiness in Canada: “Explaining Geographical Variation in Happiness in Canada”
• Approaches to Public Policy from the Happiness Literature
• Specific Public Policies to Promote Happiness
• Are Rising Real Incomes and Living Standards a Necessary Condition for the Continued Happiness of Canadians?
• Perspectives on Happiness as an Objective for Public Policy

For the full agenda please, click here.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Mel Cappe, President and Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Research on Public Policy and former Clerk of the Privy Council Office, Government of Canada
• Patrick Dion, Director, Mental Health Commission of Canada
• Don Drummond, Economics Advisor to TD Bank, Matthews Fellow and Distinguished Visiting Scholar, School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University, former Associate Deputy Minister of Finance Canada and former Chief Economist of TD Bank
• David Gyarmati, Director of Research, Social Research and Demonstration Corporation
• John Helliwell, Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of British Columbia
• Sue Johnson, Professor, University of Ottawa
• Roger L. Martin, Dean, Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and Chairman, Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity
• Jim Milway, Executive Director, Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity
• Éric Noël, Senior Vice President (North America), Oxford Analytica
• Alan Nymark, Former Deputy Minister, Government of Canada
• Jason Rentfrow, University Lecturer, Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University
• Daniel Sacks, The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania
• Andrew Sharpe, Executive Director, Centre for the Study of Living Standards
• Aileen Simkins, Director of Operations, Economic, Labour and Social Analysis Directorate, UK Office of National Statistics
• Ian Stewart, Chairman, Centre for the Study of Living Standards

The cost to attend the event is $250 plus HST per person

Continental breakfast and buffet lunch included

If you wish to make a reservation at the Chateau Laurier, please call in at (613) 241-1414 and mention that you will be attending the Conference on Happiness as a goal for public policy and use the code CENT1210 for a special rate of $199 per night. For more information on the Chateau Laurier please, click here.

If you have any questions, if you are HST exempt, or if you would like to inquire about our reduced rate of $100 available to students, retirees, and unemployed please contact Tamer Azer at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 416-920-1921 x228