Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The State of Happiness: Public Policy That Makes Life Better

The State of Happiness: Public Policy That Makes Life Better

Semple, Noel

Paperback

Series: Politics and Public Policy

Canadian HistoryGeneral SociologySocial Movements

PREORDER - Expected ship date December 1, 2026

ISBN10: 0776647768
ISBN13: 9780776647760
Publisher: University of Ottawa Press
Published: Dec 1 2026
Pages: 438
Language: English

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.

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