Comments on: Should Governments Collect Subjective Well-being Data? http://www.citizeneconomists.com/blogs/2009/10/01/should-governments-collect-subjective-well-being-data/ Citizen Economists is an online economics magazine written by citizen journalists. These ordinary citizens provide reports and commentary on the current events affecting the economics of the fields they work in. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:44:52 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Dan McLaughlin http://www.citizeneconomists.com/blogs/2009/10/01/should-governments-collect-subjective-well-being-data/comment-page-1/#comment-20414 Dan McLaughlin Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:05:42 +0000 http://www.citizeneconomists.com/blogs/?p=1348#comment-20414 Hi Winton, But that is the whole point. Someone will interpret that stuff. The only reason that anyone in government will waste time collecting and interpreting it is to use it do do things to me and you and everyone else. If the underlying data are unreliable, then any and every interpretation is distorted, Basing national policy prescriptions on meaningless data is very dangerous and quite counter-productive, as we are witnessing at this very moment. The new data can only supply new ammunition to justify new programs and make excuses for the utter failure of government to do anything that can possibly help. It is the central planners mentality that, if only we had more data, or more taxpayer money or more power, then we could enforce our utopian dream world and everyone will live happliy ever after.. Hi Winton,

But that is the whole point. Someone will interpret that stuff. The only reason that anyone in government will waste time collecting and interpreting it is to use it do do things to me and you and everyone else.

If the underlying data are unreliable, then any and every interpretation is distorted, Basing national policy prescriptions on meaningless data is very dangerous and quite counter-productive, as we are witnessing at this very moment.

The new data can only supply new ammunition to justify new programs and make excuses for the utter failure of government to do anything that can possibly help. It is the central planners mentality that, if only we had more data, or more taxpayer money or more power, then we could enforce our utopian dream world and everyone will live happliy ever after..

]]> By: Winton Bates http://www.citizeneconomists.com/blogs/2009/10/01/should-governments-collect-subjective-well-being-data/comment-page-1/#comment-20400 Winton Bates Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:04:25 +0000 http://www.citizeneconomists.com/blogs/?p=1348#comment-20400 Dan: Thanks for your comment. If you were correct that any statistical aggregation of this data is utterly meaningless and useless for policy analysis then I would not expect such aggregations to show results that are consistent with more objective indicators of the quality of life. As noted above my concerns have more to do with the interpretation of this data than with its reliability or validity. Dan:
Thanks for your comment.
If you were correct that any statistical aggregation of this data is utterly meaningless and useless for policy analysis then I would not expect such aggregations to show results that are consistent with more objective indicators of the quality of life.
As noted above my concerns have more to do with the interpretation of this data than with its reliability or validity.

]]> By: Dan McLaughlin http://www.citizeneconomists.com/blogs/2009/10/01/should-governments-collect-subjective-well-being-data/comment-page-1/#comment-20326 Dan McLaughlin Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:05:19 +0000 http://www.citizeneconomists.com/blogs/?p=1348#comment-20326 It seems to me that the entire premise is wrong. The very fact that something is subjective means that it is absolutely unmeasurable. The fact that every person has different subjective views about everything, and those subjective views constantly change in response to what the person learns, perceives and experiences on a daily basis means that, even if it was possible to measure the characteristics, any statistical aggregation would be utterly meaningless and useless for any rational policy analysis. The only possible use for the collection of subjective data is to expand the intervention into ever more areas of our lives and to justify dictatorial actions of government. Every attempt of government to pry further into our lives should be strongly resisted. The only result of it can be bigger, more oppressive government. It seems to me that the entire premise is wrong. The very fact that something is subjective means that it is absolutely unmeasurable. The fact that every person has different subjective views about everything, and those subjective views constantly change in response to what the person learns, perceives and experiences on a daily basis means that, even if it was possible to measure the characteristics, any statistical aggregation would be utterly meaningless and useless for any rational policy analysis.

The only possible use for the collection of subjective data is to expand the intervention into ever more areas of our lives and to justify dictatorial actions of government.

Every attempt of government to pry further into our lives should be strongly resisted. The only result of it can be bigger, more oppressive government.

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