To what extent can governmental policies help cultivate a relatively prosperous, secure and free citizenry? A 2011 study published in Psychological Science, “Progressive Taxation and the Subjective Well-Being of Nations,” evaluates the impact of progressive taxation — a higher tax rate for the rich and a lower one for the poor — on levels of satisfaction and well-being.

From the Scholars Strategy Network, written by Craig Volden, University of Virginia, and Alan E. Wiseman, Vanderbilt University.

From the Scholars Strategy Network, written by Jeffrey M. Berry and Sarah Sobieraj, Tufts University