Introduction : happiness as the only ultimate objective of public policy

The title of this volume is Happiness and Public Policy: Theory, Case Studies, and Implications. It is motivated by the understanding that public policy should be about enhancing happiness or the welfare of the people, now and in the future. Indeed, if public policy reduces or is neutral with regard to happiness, why do we go through the trouble of designing and implementing all kinds of policies? We have decided to address happiness explicitly in this volume. People sometimes forget about this ultimate objective of public policy, and are misled by distracting guideposts that lead to wrong directions or lead to nowhere.