Happiness and Government’s Responsibility to Citizens
Thomas Jefferson believed that governments exist to serve people, not to exercise power for its own sake. He said: “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.” His rival and friend, John Adams, also believed similarly that, “Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety and prosperity, and happiness of the people.”
Happiness and government service to the people were embedded in the work our founding fathers crafted in the Constitution.
Currently, our government is failing. On the happiness scale (yes, there is an organization devoted to measuring happiness), the United States has fallen out of the top twenty. The countries that scored higher did so based on social trust, work-life balance, and healthcare and safety nets. We have fallen out of the top happiness ranking as a country because of these major factors:
· Increased loneliness and social isolation
· Economic stress and inequality
· Declining trust in institutions and each other
· Lower happiness among younger people
I ask you to consider: Is your government working for you? What are they delivering that makes you happy?
1. Are public services like education and healthcare available, reliable, and affordable?
2. Do you have economic stability?
3. Is the legal system fair, impartial, and accessible to you?
4. Do you have the freedom to make life choices?
5. Do you have meaningful opportunities to participate in decision-making?
Ultimately, a government’s legitimacy depends on how well it meets the “care of human life and happiness” responsibilities. We all deserve and have a right to trust in our institutions, have community support when needed, and economic stability.
If you feel the government is not providing for you, working for you, enabling happiness through the delivery of services, then Stand Up! Speak Up! Let your voice be heard! And above all, VOTE!
Contributed by Judith Bitterli