Title: Wealth, Welfare, and Well-being
Description: Broad swaths of humanity have become richer, healthier, and better educated. More of the world's poorest have access to affordable credit, enabling them to invest in a better future. But what are the consequences? Does greater wealth or greater access to credit make people happier or more fulfilled? This dissertation presents essays on the relationship between wealth and well-being, the welfare effects of both debt and debt relief, and the kinds of normative analysis that help to inform good public policy.