California’s Happiness Panel Discusses What’s Getting Us Down

In the group’s second meeting after being established earlier this year, the Assembly’s Select Committee on Happiness and Public Policy Outcomes on May 29 weighed expert testimony and discussed the impacts of state policies on the quality of life for Californians. Factors discussed in the hearing perceived to be contributing to a drop in happiness included income inequalities, uncertainty about the future, access to housing, student debt, excessive expectations, and economic potential. Golden State residents reported an average happiness of a little less than seven out of 10—slightly higher than the 6.72 reported across the country—in a study conducted by Gallup for the 2024 World Happiness Report....