We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
- The Declaration of Independence
What is a government's core mission? To create conditions conducive to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Life is a matter of basic needs (nutritious food, shelter, health, safety and security). Liberty is freedom from the coercive interference of others. The Pursuit of Happiness takes a bit more explicating.
The contemporary sense of happiness mixes "lots of positive emotions" with life satisfaction. That's too small, too trivial, too culture-bound for me. I'm looking for a sense of happiness that is less selfish and individualistic, something that has layers, that has Life- and Liberty-enhancing ripple effects throughout society. Something deeper. Yeah, that's a tall order.
Back to the Founding Fathers. More than Dead White Men, they were Genius! When Thomas Jefferson penned the Mighty Declaration, happiness was more than "being in the zone" or an internal state that accompanies smiling and laughing. Happiness was frickin' virtuous! Happiness was akin to felicity, a sense of wellbeing that comes from fruitful labor in harmony with the world. Ok, that's not exactly a clear concept - but go with the feeling. When you’re happy, you are honoring something bigger than yourself; you are ambitious and grateful, ploughing the fields of what life has offered. Humility and gain – together again! Long live the contradiction, hopefully without having to believe in a Supreme Being.
And then, in the olden days, to "pursue" wasn't to seek or chase after but to practice, as in to practice medicine or law. So the right to pursue happiness was the right to practice a felicitous vocation.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: the foundational values of good governance.
Next: translating values into policies.