Book review: The Politics and Policy of Wellbeing. Understanding the Rise and Significance of a New Agenda
| Author | Rita Pires |
| DOI | 10.1177/1388262718798214 |
| Published date | 01 September 2018 |
| Date | 01 September 2018 |
| Subject Matter | Book reviews |
Book reviews
Bache, Ian and Reardon, Louise, The Politics and Policy of Wellbeing. Understanding the Rise and
Significance of a New Agenda, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK / Northampton, USA, 2016, 186 pages,
ISBN 978-1-78347-932-0
Reviewed by: Rita Pires, NOVA Law School, Lisbon, Portugal (Rita.pires@fd.un.pt)
DOI: 10.1177/1388262718798214
Taking into account political narratives, wellbeing has been a political subject for a long period of
time. As better stated, wellbeing, ‘the idea of promoting wellbeing or quality of life has been
viewed as a central purpose of government since ancient times’ (p.155). The problem is how to
transform that abstract political narrative into a governmental agenda and put it effectively onto the
political decision agenda, as a precise, objective and measurable goal that produces an impact on
people’s lives. As the authors state, that is the paradox of wellbeing.
This book draws on material from several funded projects, in which Bache was Principal Investi-
gator andReardon a contributor, as wellas from insights from interviewsconducted by Reardon in her
PhD research.Two main questions are analysed: first, howand why has the idea of wellbeingrisen up
the politicalagenda? and, second, whatare the policy implicationsof the rising politicalinterest in the
idea of wellbeing? Thebook is set in a political environment in which GDP is criticised as the main
instrumentfor measuringgrowth and development,and where interestin including wellbeingin policy
and politics has grown (chapter 1). It demonstrates (chapter 2) how wellbeing has been brought into
policy, as an element that is able to guidepolicymakers and politicians.Two waves of wellbeing are
identifiedand analysed (chapter 3): the first, fromthe late 1950s until the 1970s, and the secondfrom
the 1990s to the present. Both periods share an antipathy towards GDP as the dominant indicator of
societal progress but the later periodstands out for densifying the concept and measuring it through
sustainable development goals that intrinsically promote wellbeing, especially subjective wellbeing.
The authors present a comparative analysis between the European Union and the UK, to draw more
general conclusions. They isolate the UK because, for them, the country was an earlier mover in
governmental attempts to measure subjective wellbeing, as it remained closely connected to develop-
ments within international organisations and embraced wellbeing at the highestpolitical level (chapter 4).
In the book, wellbeing is seen in the context of multi-level governance, using Kingdon’s
(2011) multiple streams approach to agenda-setting.
1
At the international level, it is stated that
international networks are increasingly important mechanisms for policy diffusion of well-
being, where wellbeing advocates are challenged ‘to sell the idea to a wide range of politi-
cians, officials, interest groups, the media and the public at large’ (p.159).
1. Kingdon, J. (2011), Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies: Fourth Edition, London: HarperCollins.
European Journal of Social Security
2018, Vol. 20(3) 294–305
ªThe Author(s) 2018
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