My first thought was, “Just use anything from the experimental literature on the Coase Theorem,” but then I realized most people wouldn’t be able to easily rationalize Coasean results. However, if you think otherwise, the divorce literature is interesting. Perhaps not clear-cut enough.
“Facts about happiness” really is a good idea, here are some suggestions off the top of my head:
“Money doesn’t buy happiness” is true even across countries with huge differences in wealth and income. (False. Rationalization: Simple folk wisdom, right? Why wouldn’t other people around the globe have come to the same conclusion?)
More direct participation in democracy has a negative effect on happiness; more representational institutions increase happiness. (False. Easily rationalized: “Representational democracy woo!” I figure most of your audience will be American. More seriously, “Less stress: you have to worry about technical policies less often and vote less often, but your voice is still heard.” )
Women are, in general, happier than men. This effect appears to last over time and cross-country. (False. Could be rationalized as, “women work less, have better social lives, are less materialistic, or female modes of thinking manage stress better.”)
Unfortunately, these are contentious examples, and you may want something with more rigorous empirics to make your point. But then, you shouldn’t go near happiness research to begin with.
My first thought was, “Just use anything from the experimental literature on the Coase Theorem,” but then I realized most people wouldn’t be able to easily rationalize Coasean results. However, if you think otherwise, the divorce literature is interesting. Perhaps not clear-cut enough.
“Facts about happiness” really is a good idea, here are some suggestions off the top of my head:
“Money doesn’t buy happiness” is true even across countries with huge differences in wealth and income. (False. Rationalization: Simple folk wisdom, right? Why wouldn’t other people around the globe have come to the same conclusion?)
More direct participation in democracy has a negative effect on happiness; more representational institutions increase happiness. (False. Easily rationalized: “Representational democracy woo!” I figure most of your audience will be American. More seriously, “Less stress: you have to worry about technical policies less often and vote less often, but your voice is still heard.” )
Women are, in general, happier than men. This effect appears to last over time and cross-country. (False. Could be rationalized as, “women work less, have better social lives, are less materialistic, or female modes of thinking manage stress better.”)
Unfortunately, these are contentious examples, and you may want something with more rigorous empirics to make your point. But then, you shouldn’t go near happiness research to begin with.