The government is poised to begin measuring national wellbeing. Citizens are to be asked a range of questions about their happiness, family life and environment. But how can the responses be quantified? And what use will they be for policy-making?
These are questions which Mark Williamson, director of the Movement For Happines is attempting to answer. He says that we need to take a more holistic view of national prosperity.
Guardian columnists Madeleine Bunting and Seumas Milne are wary of old-fashioned utilitarian arguments about quantifying happiness, but can agree that economic growth is not the only way of measuring a nation's success.
Meanwhile, Britain faces months of build-up to the biggest royal wedding since 1981. Will it bring people together or expose divisions in a recession-hit society?
And just what is Labour's shadow chancellor up to? Alan Johnson has made a series of provocative statements at odds with his new party leader Ed Miliband. But things are looking up for the opposition as polling shows them neck and neck with the Conservatives.
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