“...The Easterlin Paradox states that at a point in time happiness varies directly with income, both among and within nations, but over time the long-term growth...”

“...The lowest level of reported happiness since the 1970s occurred in 2010, which was the result of a negative long-term trend and the Great Recession. However,...”

“...•Immigrants could affect both economic and non-economic factors, e.g., diversity.•Life satisfaction reflects both factors, which is necessary to inform...”

“...•Optimistic people live longer, based on nearly 50 years of longitudinal data (PSID).•Optimism better predicts mortality than income, including health and...”

“...How can social policy be used to improve societal well-being? First, quality institutions are necessary to implement optimal policies. Second societal...”

“...A little understood question is the extent to which optimism and aspirations actually matter to future outcomes. It seems intuitive that hope and optimism for...”