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What should government do? Welfarism holds that it should always try to make individuals’ lives better, for them, than they otherwise would.
In The State of Happiness, Canadian law professor and election candidate Noel Semple offers a compelling and accessible introduction welfarism, a bold and influential theory of public policy that judges governments based on whether they improve human well-being. Drawing on five remarkable historical episodes— from mandatory seat belt laws in the USA to economic liberalization in India to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada—he demonstrates how public policy can transform lives for the better.
Like parenting, government involves navigating countless choices and competing priorities, with the goal of helping people lead better lives. Through real-world examples, The State of Happiness challenges readers to rethink what successful government looks like and how we should evaluate public policy.
Optimistic, thought-provoking, and firmly grounded in evidence, this book is an engaging guide to welfarism and its promise for progressive, effective government, as well as an inspiring vision of what government can achieve when human flourishing becomes its guiding purpose.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: The Helping Hand: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies in the UK
Chapter 3: Buckling Up and Cracking Down
Chapter 4: The Pursuit of Happiness: Inclusive Prosperity in Gurgaon
Chapter 5: The Knowledge Problem: Economic Liberalism and Intellectual Humility
Chapter 6: A New Sail for the Ship of State: The Value-Added Tax in New Zealand
Chapter 7: No One is an Island: Legalization of Same-sex Marriage in Canada
Chapter 8 Rights in Dialogue: How Same-sex Marriage Came to Canada
Conclusion: Toward the State of Happiness
Epilogue: The Thirty-Seven Principles of Welfarist Government