Wonkbook: Researchers have debunked one of our most basic assumptions about how the economy works

By Jeff Guo Everyone wants economic growth, right? It's part of every politician's package of promises. Expanding economies make people richer, and study after study shows that the wealthier lead happier, healthier lives. Yet in recent years, accumulating evidence suggests that rising incomes and personal well-being are linked in the opposite way. It seems that economic growth actually kills people. Christopher …   The latest economic and domestic policy from Wonkblog   Men play dice at a market in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016. Myanmar has been cited as one of the world's fastest-growing economies. (Photo by Taylor Weidman/Bloomberg) By Jeff Guo Everyone wants economic growth, right? It's part of every politician's package of promises. Expanding economies make people richer, and study after study shows that the wealthier lead happier, healthier lives. Yet in recent years, accumulating evidence suggests that rising incomes and personal well-being are linked in the opposite way. It seems that economic growth actually kills people. Christopher Ruhm, an economics professor at the University of Virginia, was one of the first to notice this paradox. In a 2000 paper, he showed that when the American economy is on an upswing, people suffer more medical problems and die faster; when the economy falters, people tend to live longer. "It's very puzzling," says Adriana Lleras-Muney, an economics professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Read the rest on Wonkblog. ADVERTISEMENT     Top policy tweets .@mcottle on the tragedy that lies ahead for Trump voters: https://t.co/WvRGuML884 pic.twitter.com/0pravUMT8R — Yoni Appelbaum (@YAppelbaum) October 14, 2016 The fraying social safety net, not regulation, is holding back America's entrepreneurs. https://t.co/Y4Fthlcu0k @DannyVinik @Econ_Marshall — Ben Schiller (@btschiller) October 14, 2016 Neoliberal sellout Peter Edelman says Clinton has a plan to help millions of poor people https://t.co/fTT6zzAkYD pic.twitter.com/eqlSZRObij — Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) October 14, 2016 Most Recent Posts from Wonkblog The most liberal universities in America America's professors are so far to the left, you might be surprised. By Ana Swanson  •  Read more »   Trump adviser said ‘reasonable’ women report harassment sooner. Most never do. They don't think people will believe them. By Danielle Paquette  •  Read more »   Researchers have debunked one of our most basic assumptions about how the world works The unforeseen consequences of economic growth By Jeff Guo  •  Read more »   Who would win and lose under Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton’s tax plans Tax policy isn't the loudest or most controversial contrast between the two main candidates for president, but for American workers, it may provide the most consequential outcome of the election. By Jim Tankersley  •  Read more »   Elizabeth Warren urges President Obama to remove the head of the SEC The Democratic senator turned up the heat on Mary Jo White. By Renae Merle and Jim Tankersley  •  Read more »   Opening up borders: An idea economists tend to love and politicians tend to detest For many economists, it's the simplest and most effective way to make the world richer and reduce poverty. For those in government, it's a political landmine. By Ana Swanson  •  Read more »   He’s not Donald Trump, but Warren Buffett is no saint when it comes to taxes If Donald Trump had done some homework, he could have said that Warren Buffett, like Trump himself, has pursued aggressive tax strategies. By Allan Sloan  •  Read more »   The disturbing reason why we don’t believe young, black women are really doctors What a medical emergency on a plane can teach us about implicit bias. By Carolyn Y. Johnson  •  Read more »   Here’s how legal pot changed Colorado and Washington Voting on marijuana legalization this fall? Learn about what happened in other states first. By Christopher Ingraham  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   Federal Insider Federal news and policy update, in your inbox daily. Sign Up »         Share Wonkbook:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for a Wonkblog newsletter. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2016 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071