Betsey Stevenson

Betsey Stevenson

Betsey Stevenson is an American economist . She is Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia .

Life

Stevenson received her B.Sc. in Economics and Mathematics from Wellesley College in 1993 . In 2001 she completed her Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University . From 1993 to 1995, Stevenson was a research assistant on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors ; 1995 to 2004 for Forrester Research . Since 2004 she has been an Assistant Professor at the Wharton School .

Stevenson is in a relationship with Justin Wolfers and has a daughter with him.

job

Stevenson works in the research areas of Law and Economics , Labor Economics , and Health Economics .

Happiness research

Stevenson works in collaboration with Justin Wolfers in happiness research . The two published two papers in 2008 and 2009 that received some media attention.

Relationship between income and happiness

Stevenson and Wolfers published a paper in 2008 in which they question the Easterlin paradox . They analyzed all data on happiness and income in comparisons between rich and poor within a society, in comparisons between poor and rich countries, and in intertemporal comparisons. It was shown that the relationship between subjective happiness and income is very similar for intranational, international and intertemporal comparisons. These results contradict those of Easterlin, whose paradox is based on the assumption that intranational comparisons mean greater differences in happiness than international or relative income is more important for satisfaction than absolute income. In countries such as Japan or Europe, subjective satisfaction increased along with average per capita income. Also, the increase in happiness was greater when the income growth was greater.

The publication drew several television and radio interviews as well as international press reactions.

Development of the distribution of happiness in the USA

In a paper published in 2008, Stevenson and Wolfers analyze the development of the distribution of happiness in the USA from 1972–2006. While subjective satisfaction remained unchanged on average, its inequality decreased considerably. The difference between black and white decreased by two thirds, and the difference between women and men completely disappeared. The relationship between education and satisfaction increased.

Paradox of decreasing women's satisfaction

In August 2009 the two published a paper describing a decline in subjective satisfaction among women in the United States and Western Europe over the past 35 years. This decline can be seen both in absolute terms and in comparison with men, as well as in different demographic groups. According to the surveys, women were happier than men in the 1970s, whereas men are happier than women today. Since the decline in women's satisfaction is offset by an improvement in many objective indicators (e.g. emancipation on the job market and at home), the authors speak of a paradox.

The publication met with strong media coverage, particularly in the USA and Great Britain, but also in many European countries.

scientific publications

• “The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness” (with Justin Wolfers), American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 1 (2), 190-255, August 2009.
• “Happiness Inequality in the United States” (with Justin Wolfers), Journal of Legal Studies, June 2008, Vol. 37, no. S2: pp. S33-S79
• “Divorce-Law and Women's Labor Supply,” Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, 5 (4): 853-873, December 2008.
• “Economic Growth and Happiness: Reassessing the Easterlin Paradox,” with Justin Wolfers, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Spring 2008. [editorial]
• “Title IX and the Evolution of High School Sports,” Contemporary Economic Policy, 25 (4), Oct. 2007. [Editorial]
• “The Impact of Divorce Laws on Investment in Marriage Specific Capital” Journal of Labor Economics, 25 (1): 75-94, January 2007.
• “Marriage and Divorce: Changes and Their Driving Forces” (with Justin Wolfers), Journal of Economic Perspectives, 21 (2), Spring 2007.
• “Bargaining in the Shadow of the Law: Divorce Laws and Family Distress” (with Justin Wolfers), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 121 (1): 267-288, February 2006.
• “Health Insurance Coverage of People in the Ten Years before Medicare Eligibility” (with Katherine Swchartz), in: Ensuring Health and Income Security for an Aging Workforce (edited by Allan Hunt et al.), 2001.

Web links

• Betsey Stevenson website
• Betsey Stevenson on the Easterlin Paradox. ABC Nightline. June 2008.
• Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers on Income and Happiness. CNBC Street Signs. September 2008
• Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers on Declining Women's Satisfaction. NBC Today.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Economists in Love: Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers. March 11, 2011.
2. ↑ Stevenson, B. & Wolfers, J. (2008): Economic Growth and Subjective Well-Being: Reassessing the Easterlin Paradox. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Spring 2008. ( Memento from April 22, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
3. ↑ ^{a b} Reception in the media ( memento of the original from November 25, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ Stevenson, B. & Wolfer, J. (2008): Happiness Inequality in the United States. Journal of Legal Studies, Vol. 37, June 2008, S33-79. ( Memento of the original from October 16, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
5. ↑ Stevenson, B. & Wolfers, J. (2009): The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 190-225. ( Memento of the original from October 16, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
6. ↑ The misery of women. Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, October 7, 2007
7. ↑ Petra Steinberger: The misfortune of women - Pretty sad ( Memento of the original from November 7th, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in: Süddeutsche Zeitung of October 11, 2009