For readers who intend to read this volume without reading the first,
some in- troductory remarks are in order about the scope of the work and
the strategy used in all five volumes to measure the quality of life. In
the frrst chapter of Volume I, I reviewed the relevant recent literature
on social indicators and so- cial reporting, and explained all the
general difficulties involved in such work. It would be redundant to
repeat that discussion here, but there are some fundamental points that
are worth mentioning. Readers who fmd this account too brief should
consult the longer discussion. The basic question that will be answered
in this work is this: Is there a difference in the quality of life in
Canada and the United States of America, and if so, in which country is
it better? Alternatively, one could put the question thus: If one
individual were randomly selected out of Canada and another out of the
United States, would there be important qualitative differences, and if
so, which one would probably be better om To simplify matters, I often
use the terms Canadian' and 'American' as abbreviations for 'a randomly
selected resident' of Canada or the United States, respec- tively.