Does Religion Make You Happy?

Season 5, Episode 35

This week, Freakonomics Radio asks two questions, separate but related. One is whether giving away money – in this case, to a religious institution – makes you happier. The other is whether religion itself makes you happier. Neither question is easy to answer.

Also, a New York City apartment building has a gym that only newer tenants can use — the ones who are paying market-rate rents — and not the ones who’ve lived there long enough to qualify for much cheaper, government-subsidized rent. Some tenants call this “fitness apartheid.” What do economists call it?

To learn more, check out the podcasts from which this hour was drawn: “Does Religion Make You Happy?” and “Fitness Apartheid.”

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