Both government conduct and government quality are significantly related to wellbeing levels around the world. Democratic quality appears to be more important for wellbeing in high-income countries. This could suggest that residents of low-income countries are more affected by their governments provision of basic goods and services, while residents of high-income countries place a higher value on democratic influence.

It is often difficult to make reliable comparisons between countries. As a result, other researchers have looked at within-country variation in democratic processes and procedures to predict wellbeing. The results of these studies generally show that decreased opportunities for democratic involvement in politics decrease wellbeing.

While the results can vary depending on the definition, government size (measured in terms of both welfare programs and of government consumption) is generally positively associated with wellbeing. In particular, both the level of social benefits, and the ease by which citizens can access them predict higher levels of national happiness.

In terms of political orientation, right-leaning individuals are generally happier than left-leaning individuals. But residents of countries with left-leaning governments are generally happier than those living in countries with right-leaning governments.