A more inclusive happiness — and then steps back
Happiness in the USA, aged 247, and in the future
Is our nation happier today than it was in 1776? How many Supreme Court cases have featured the pursuit of Happiness[1]? Would mustard have fit within our founders’ conception of Happiness? Today and next week, we answer these questions and more, while examining the pursuit of Happiness since the Declaration of Independence.
This is the second in a series of three; the first post discussed the history of the pursuit of Happiness, its meaning in 1776, and the connection between the pursuit of Happiness and government. If you haven’t read that yet, I recommend starting there.
Unfinished business and a more inclusive happiness
We have made great progress in inclusion and the expansion of Rights since 1776, though often steps forward have been followed by steps back. At the same time, much remains to be done.
While Happiness is not explicitly referenced in the US Constitution, it is explicitly enshrined in state constitutions including Virginia’s, Massachusetts’, and Wisconsin’s[2]; we inspired its inclusion in the modern Japanese and South Korean constitutions too.
The founders intentionally did not extend Declaration of Independence Rights (including to the pursuit of Happiness) to women, indentured servants, or enslaved people. Since Jefferson’s time, the United States has gradually extended the Right to the pursuit of Happiness, and many others, to more and more people.
By 2019, the pursuit of Happiness had been referenced in 96 Supreme Court cases.
In two of those cases, the Right to the pursuit of Happiness advanced marriage equality. In the Loving v. Virginia decision, Chief Justice Warren cited precedent from Meyer v. Nebraska, saying the “Fourteenth amendment’s due process clause” incorporates a Right to “the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men”. Thus, there could be no legal ban on interracial marriage. The Obergefell v. Hodges decision ensuring the right to same sex marriage echoed this reasoning.
More happy years — but then a reversal
The extension of legal rights and freedoms likely helped increase American happiness — at least until about 50 years ago. Increased national income matters much more for happiness in low and middle income countries than in wealthy ones, so increased national income helped drive increased happiness for some portion of US history too. We have gained many more happy years since Jefferson’s time — as, by some estimates, life expectancy has more than doubled.
However, our progress has stalled, and even reversed. Population level happiness hasn’t really increased since 1970, and in the last 20 years, happiness has likely decreased. In the past few years, life expectancy has decreased too.
The United States isn’t alone among developed nations in experiencing this happiness stagnation — though the decline here is more pronounced than in some other wealthy nations. [3]
Does it matter?
It matters a lot. As the Founding Fathers laid the foundation for a Republic, they presciently recognized the importance of enabling the pursuit of Happiness. There is a strong positive correlation between happiness levels and the strength of a democracy and democratic institutions. Freedom House has documented significant democratic backsliding in the US in recent years, at the same time that we have continued to see declining happiness levels and increased levels of social isolation. Our declining hope and happiness are contributing to our declining life expectancy too.
What can we do?
We can address this challenge together; when it comes to happiness, we can “form a more perfect union.”
But to do better, we need to understand more about the diagnosis: why are we becoming less happy? From there, we can craft some solutions.
So join me next week for diagnosis and solutions — and to learn the answer to the mustard question.
This is the 22nd post about boosting joy the only way we can: in community. Please share, subscribe (https://medium.com/@justinpasquariello), and join our movement by emailing me or supporting East Boston Social Centers: https://www.ebsocialcenters.org/support
[1] This post references Happiness as the Declaration of Independence did. However, their “happiness” is best translated as “(community) joy” today.
[2] This article also lists Vermont’s, New Jersey’s, New Hampshire’s, “and a number of others”
[3] Our declining life expectancy is even worse in comparison with peer nations (many of which had only one year of life expectancy decline during the pandemic) than is our declining happiness.
