Life satisfaction and trust in other people

This report looks at two very current issues in social policy life satisfaction and trust in others. These issues link into a number of debates, particularly how we measure the progress and impact of policy in a more rounded way and how we can reverse the apparent decline in feelings of community cohesion and citizenship.

This report looks at two very current issues in social policy – life satisfaction and trust in others. These issues link into a number of debates, particularly how we measure the progress and impact of policy in a more rounded way and how we can reverse the apparent decline in feelings of community cohesion and citizenship. 

The analysis uses data from the 2001 wave of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), and it was initially conducted as part of a project for the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit at the Cabinet Office.

The main aims are to identify which factors are most associated with life satisfaction and trust in others, and then to segment the population into groups, to look particularly at the extremes – who are the most and least trusting and happy people?

 

 

 

 

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