The new and popular research on wellbeing and happiness is being used by European scholars and politicians to push for an agenda that is critical of free markets and instead favours more government intervention.

Johan Norberg takes another look at the research, and finds remarkably little support for politicians' conclusions.

The evidence can be read in a completely opposite way.

CNE Senior Fellow Johan Norberg is one of Sweden's leading commentators on economics and politics.

In Defence of Global Capitalism, Norberg's 2001 book, has now been published in more than 20 countries.

His blog at johannorberg.net is among Sweden's most popular sites, and in 2002 Norberg was named as one of the country's 20 most influential opinon-makers.