The Happiness Policy Handbook: How to Make Happiness and Well-Being the Purpose of Your Government

Build a better society through happiness policy

Thomas Jefferson said that "the purpose of government is to enable the people of a nation to live in safety and happiness." Yet only now, 270 years later, is the happiness of citizens starting to be taken seriously as the purpose of government.

While happiness science is advancing rapidly, and governments and organizations are creating indices for measuring happiness, there is little practical information on how to create policy to advance happiness.

Drawing from a deep well of expertise and experience, The Happiness Policy Handbook is the first step-by-step guide for integrating happiness into government policy at all levels.

Coverage includes:
• A concise background on happiness science, indices and indicators, and happiness in public policy
• Tools for formulating happiness policy and integrating happiness into administrative functions
• A concept menu of happiness policies
• Communicating happiness policy objectives to media and engaging with the community
• A happiness policy screening tool for evaluating the happiness contribution of any policy
• Policy perspectives from seasoned experts across sectors.

The Happiness Policy Handbook is the essential resource for policymakers and professionals working to integrate happiness and well-being into governmental processes and institutions.

Laura Musikanski is Executive Director of the Happiness Alliance and lives in Seattle, WA. Rhonda Phillips is the Dean of Purdue Honors College, Interim Dean of Libraries, and Professor of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University, and lives in West Lafayette, IN. Jean Crowder was as a member of parliament in the Canadian government, has extensive policymaking experience, and lives in Duncan, BC.