Pathways to Happiness are policy suggestions for communities using the Happiness Index and scoring low in an area. Each one suggests policies and programs for when a community scores low in one area.

1. Pathways to Happinessforareaswherepeople
pay attention to what people think
governmentofficials
do not feel

2. Pathways to Happiness are ways
people & government officials
between
to better the relationship

3. Communities
everywhere
score
low
in
Government100= happiest

4. Let’s look at one aspect of government:
the feeling that government
officials are paying attention
to what people think

5. On average,
people feel local
officials pay
attention to what
people think
a score below 40 means we do not feel local officials pay attention to what people think, below 60 means we feel indifferently

6. Courageous Policies

7. vote holiday (or weekend)
http://www.whytuesday.org/make-election-day-a-federal-holiday/
information about a vote holiday
Australia, Belgium, Brazil, India, Singapore
a few countries with not voting is illegal (punished by fines)

8. participatory governance
concept to implementation then measuring impact & assessment
people participating decide the goal of the policy, program or project
government officials goal is participation
citizens are involved at all stages of government:
and how it gets done
creates a virtuous cycle of citizen engagement & community well-being

9. resources for participatory governance
https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/CUSP_110108_Participatory%20Gov.pdf
http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol15/iss4/art26/
a white paper:
case studies, tips and hard won lessons:
http://www.governing.com/topics/politics/lawmaking/gov-iceland-writes-worlds-1st-crowd-sourced-constitution.html
an interesting experiment – Iceland’s constitution:

10. participatory budgeting
Chicago was the first to try participatory budgeting in 2009
citizens decide how city, region or department spend funds
San Francisco, New York & Seattle followed

11. resources for participatory budgeting
http://www.participatorybudgeting.org/about-participatory-budgeting/examples-of-participatory-budgeting/
https://roarmag.org/essays/real-direct-participatory-democracy/
an interesting article:
more example programs
http://pb.cambridgema.gov/
example program

12. What’s it
going to
take?

13. activism
write letters & make phone calls to your local government officials
get involved in the political process in a way that feels good to you
get & stay involved in your local government
write op-ed pieces
talk politics – with an open heart
volunteer go to events donate small

14. band together
ask for support from like-minded organizations in your area
when you can, partner with other people & organizations
work with others who have like visions
when you can’t, bring other’s interest to the table anyway

15. insist
talk to your local elected and appointed officials
even as others you band with ebb & flow, keep on talking
don’t give up
keep talking to them

16. Other policies in the Pathways to Happiness tool series
Campaign finance reform
Guaranteed basic income
Media reform
Massive public transportation
Local food reliance
Village living (cities and rural)
Multi-use zoning
Public spaces
Political festivals
Participatory governance
Participatory budgeting
Anti-corruption policies
Transparency in government
Compassion training for police
Community-based monitoring
Sousveillance
Vote holiday
Vacation laws
Family leave laws
Sick leave laws
Flex time and job share laws
Telecommuting policies
Babies at work policies
Intergenerational care
Department of neighborhoods
Volunteer programs
Mindfulness practice in schools
Social justice awareness raising
Mental health –priority counseling

17. We envision a world where all beings can thrive.
Can you envision it too?
happycounts.org