VOLUME 7 (2011), ISSUE 1, Essays	<Previous Essay     Next Essay>
Participation: The Happiness Connection Chris Barker, University of Wollongong Brian Martin, University of Wollongong SUGGESTED CITATION: Chris Barker and Brian Martin (2011) "Participation: The Happiness Connection," Journal of Public Deliberation: Vol. 7: No. 1, Article 9. http://services.bepress.com/jpd/vol7/iss1/art9	Download this article (155 KB, PDF) Tell a Colleague Get Acrobat Reader Printing Tip: Select the option to 'print as image' in the Acrobat print dialog to ensure the article prints as it appears on screen. Learn more...
Participation in decision-making has the potential to contribute to greater happiness. To explore this connection, we examine three areas: the family, the workplace and politics. In each of these areas, happiness research suggests that greater participation should increase happiness, most directly via the channels of personal relationships and helping others. There is some empirical research suggesting that participation contributes to happiness. It is useful to consider the connections between the three areas. In particular, examination of participation-happiness connections within families and workplaces can provide some insights for promoting a stronger connection at the level of politics.
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