Gross National Happiness: Why Happiness Matters for America - and How We Can Get More of It

Happiness is central to the idea of America; along with life and liberty, the Founding Fathers listed "the pursuit of happiness" as a fundamental right in the Declaration of Independence. Yet little has been done since to find out what actually makes America a happy nation. And while our leaders make all sorts of promises to the American people, they rarely speak of - or pursue - happiness as a national goal. What would our nation look like if they did? In Gross National Happiness, Arthur Brooks reveals the main sources of bliss - and misery - in America.

Arthur C. Brooks is Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and Whitman School of Management. He is also a Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.