Lithuanian People‘s Attitudes Towards Felicitary State Budget Redistribution
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Abstract
Studies of happiness level in a society give a solid empirical base for the economy of happiness and the felicitary (“felicity” – lat. happiness) policy. A relation between happiness level in a society and governance may be one of the directions of such type of studies. For this reason, Public opinion research center “Vilmorus” conducted a representative survey of Lithuanian population. Objectives of the survey were to reveal opinions about a level of happiness during the last year, during the following five years and the attitudes towards budget spendings of the state: how to spend resources of the state in order to get the highest improvement of happiness in a society. The following spheres of the society and the state life were proposed for the respondents: education, healthcare, pensions, support for the young families, the unemployed, public order, state defense, culture, governance. 1005 adult respondents were interviewed in 19 towns and 31 villages in rural areas.
The survey revealed that it is possible to classify the respondents into three different groups according to their happiness and a perception of prospects of the future. The first group consisted of 31% of the respondents. They stated that they are happy and more or less believe in a successful future. The second group consisted of 41,2% of the respondents, who stated that they are not satisfied in their present lives, but they believe in changes in the future. To the third group belong respondents (25,7%) who are dissatisfied in contemporary life and do not believe in positive changes in the future. 2,2% of the respondents did not answer to this question.
The results of this research allow describing some peculiarities of these groups. More happy are young, better educated, living in the capital or in other big cities people. Among less happy and not believing in the future are older people, lower educated, having lower incomes and living in rural areas.
The research revealed that the level of happiness influences the respondents’ opinions about the distribution of budget of the state. The group of a lower level of happiness gives priority for direct payments to the population (pensions, support of the families, the unemployed). The results showed that a considerable part of the population has a negative attitude towards governance of the state (22,4%). They did not distribute any finances for the governance. A part of the population (16,8%) did not give finances for the state defense, as well. A considerable part of the lower happiness group were among them.
The survey revealed that it is possible to classify the respondents into three different groups according to their happiness and a perception of prospects of the future. The first group consisted of 31% of the respondents. They stated that they are happy and more or less believe in a successful future. The second group consisted of 41,2% of the respondents, who stated that they are not satisfied in their present lives, but they believe in changes in the future. To the third group belong respondents (25,7%) who are dissatisfied in contemporary life and do not believe in positive changes in the future. 2,2% of the respondents did not answer to this question.
The results of this research allow describing some peculiarities of these groups. More happy are young, better educated, living in the capital or in other big cities people. Among less happy and not believing in the future are older people, lower educated, having lower incomes and living in rural areas.
The research revealed that the level of happiness influences the respondents’ opinions about the distribution of budget of the state. The group of a lower level of happiness gives priority for direct payments to the population (pensions, support of the families, the unemployed). The results showed that a considerable part of the population has a negative attitude towards governance of the state (22,4%). They did not distribute any finances for the governance. A part of the population (16,8%) did not give finances for the state defense, as well. A considerable part of the lower happiness group were among them.
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