ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the notion of positive politics (PPol), namely, the study of the impact of political policies and processes upon wellbeing. 1 PPol could be regarded as a new subfield of the broader discipline of positive psychology, which has been described as “the science and practice of improving wellbeing” (Lomas, Hefferon, & Ivtzan, 2014, p. ix). Although positive psychology initially tended to focus on psychological processes, recently the field has sought to pay more attention to the socio-cultural dimensions of wellbeing, as seen in the emergence of “positive social psychology” (Lomas, 2015). This current chapter represents an relevant development in this respect, recognising the influence that political processes have on wellbeing. In setting out the general terrain of PPol, the chapter draws together literature that has emerged over recent years across various disciplines – including economics, political theory, and psychology – looking at the impact of political policy and processes on wellbeing. The relevant literature is vast and somewhat diffuse. As such, it is beyond the scope of this chapter to offer detailed analyses of the wellbeing impact of specific policies or political parties. Rather, the chapter endeavours to step back and provide a set of orienting analyses concerning the differences between left-wing (LW) 2 and right-wing (RW) political perspectives, and to explore the implications that these different perspectives have for wellbeing.
