Stimulus goods, sustainable economy awareness and lifestyles, and life satisfaction

We shed light on the paradox of the relationship between civic participation (measured by a composite indicator of Sustainable Economy Awareness and Lifestyles (SEAL)) and life satisfaction by showing that, even though the former significantly contributes to the latter, it is practiced by few. We find a reason why by showing with principal component analysis and instrumental variable approaches that ‘stimulus goods’ (goods whose enjoyment requires previous effort and investment) are among the main factors associated with SEAL. The civic participation path to life satisfaction is uphill since stimulus goods require previous investment to be enjoyed. Our policy implication is that experiences that can trigger investment in stimulus goods are crucial to creating the virtuous circle of civic participation, enjoyment of stimulus goods and life satisfaction, with positive effects not only on individual life but also on the health of democracy and the achievement of sustainable development goals.