A fairly arbitrary sampling of studies (there are many on more specific subjects, if you're interested in researching more specific aspects of the question): *

A fairly arbitrary sampling of studies (there are many on more specific subjects, if you're interested in researching more specific aspects of the question): * A general literature survey as of 1995, of the evidence on whether increasing the incomes of everyone (with no change in relative incomes) improves overall happiness: http://ibe.eller.arizona.edu/docs/2010/Martinsson/easterlin95.pdf http://ibe.eller.arizona.edu/docs/2010/Martinsson/easterlin9... * Income inequality and happiness 1972-2008 in the U.S. and causal hypotheses: http://inside.bard.edu/~luka/documents/Oishi-Kesebir-Diener-InequalityandHappiness-PsychScience.pdf http://inside.bard.edu/~luka/documents/Oishi-Kesebir-Diener-... * Relationship between regional inequality, happiness, and confounding factors in Japan: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953610000791 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953610... * Empirical alignment of utilitarian happiness-maximization and other desiderata often seen as opposed: http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/22129/JHS_11_2010_605.pdf http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/22129/JHS_11_2010_605.pdf