Which of the following countries first invented the idea of "Gross National…
2017
Which of the following countries first invented the idea of "Gross National Happiness" to use happiness as a measure of good governance?
- A.
Great Britain
- B.
Taiwan
- C.
Norway
- D.
Bhutan
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Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
Gross National Happiness (GNH) is a holistic measure of national progress that values collective well-being, culture, environment and good governance over purely economic output such as GDP. It treats the happiness and quality of life of citizens as the central goal of development policy.
Application
The concept of Gross National Happiness was first articulated by Bhutan. It was coined in 1972 by Bhutan's fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who declared that "Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product." Bhutan went on to build a formal GNH Index around four pillars — sustainable development, environmental conservation, cultural preservation and good governance — making happiness an explicit yardstick of governance.
Why the other countries do not fit
Great Britain later introduced national well-being statistics, but it adopted such measures decades after Bhutan and did not originate the idea.
Taiwan has no association with originating a national happiness measure; it is not the source of this concept.
Norway consistently ranks high on global happiness reports, but high ranking is not the same as inventing the governance idea — it did not coin Gross National Happiness.
Result
Bhutan is the country that first invented the idea of Gross National Happiness.