最近幾年來,人民幸福感已成為世界各國首要探討的經濟指標。從經濟合作暨發展組織(OECD)、世界經濟論壇(WEF)、歐洲聯盟(EU)以及聯合國(UN)相繼投入研究之後,臺灣也開始著手進行幸福感的評估調查,並且預計於西元2013年公布臺灣的國民幸福指數。幸福感是人民的一種主觀感受,因此受到干擾的因素有很多種,國內外學者針對幸福感所進行的相關研究逐年地增加,本研究除了討論個人特質因素與總體經濟因素之外,還加入了政治效能感因素進行探討。本研究採用西元2005年以及西元2010年的臺灣社會變遷基本問卷調查進行討論,並且利用Ordered Probit Model進行各別年度以及合併年度的資料分析。從實證結果發現到人民的政治效能感與幸福感之間是呈現顯著的正相關,此代表人民若認為自己影響政府的能力有所提升時,人民的幸福感將會增加。 在臺灣歷年來總統大選前後的政治決策當中,可以發現到政府官員選前與選後的政治態度會出現不一致的情況。政治人物通常在選舉前提出的政策皆會順應著民意,而選舉之後總是反其道而行,此情形將會使得臺灣人民的政治效能感產生變化。本研究所採用的資料為總統選舉的前後時期,雖然在西元2005年到西元2010年臺灣人民的政治效能感有些微的上升,但是本研究認為此情形並無法代表人民影響政府政策的能力增加,因此與Frey and stutzer(2000a)所提出的直接民主有很大的不同。
In recent years, The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Economic Forum, the European Union and the United Nations have been surveying happiness, Taiwan has also embarked on happiness assessment survey, and is expected to announce the data in 2013. In this study, in addition to demographic factors and macroeconomic factors, I also analyze the influence of political efficacy on happiness. Use data from Taiwan Social Change Survey data in years of 2005 and 2010, I find that people's political efficacy has an positive and significant effect on happiness. The more people feel that they influence on government, the higher their happiness is. The underlying political economics for this study is proposed by Frey and Stutzer (2000a). They argue that direct democracy could increase happiness. In Taiwan, policies proposed by candidates were usually violated when they were elected. Politicians usually proposed policies conforming to public opinions in the elections, but then they usually did exactly the opposite after the election. This case will make the people political efficacy difference. Year 2005 and year 2010 were after and before the presidential elections. Although people's political efficacy did increase slightly from 2005 to 2010, this should not indicate the people can really affect the Government's policy. Therefore, politicians in Taiwan manipulated policies, people's political efficacy and happiness. The process is distinguished from the thought of Frey and Stutzer (2000a), in which people do have real power to control government.