• Authors are leaders in their field,
• Musikanski is the Executive Director of the Happiness Alliance,
• Rhonda Phillips is Dean of Purdue Honors College
• Jean Crowder is a consultant and former federal politician
• Phillips and Rhonda are directors of the Happiness Alliance, a nonprofit that provides tools, resources and knowledge to policy makers and communities
• This "happy trio" of authors are all extremely accomplished women with extensive experience at the national and international level of policy development and renowned academics
• This book is an integral part of the Happiness Alliance Project
• Over 270 years ago, Thomas Jefferson said, "The purpose of government is to enable the people of a nation to live in safety and happiness" - this book is a guide that shows government and institutions how to do this
• Provides step-by-step action plans for integrating happiness into organizations
• Contains practical action plans and implementation strategies
• Tools can be adopted and adapted alongside existing policies
• Explains the process of change
• Provides guidance for policy makers seeking ways to utilize happiness information
Written in two sections
• First section is an orientation to the history of happiness in public policy
• Includes menu of happiness policies and model laws and projects
• Key implementable lessons, practical tips, terminology, how to overcome obstacles and a set of criteria for deciding when it would be wise to implement a happiness policy
• Second section is comprised of action plans
• Includes model proclamation used by city councils, mayors and legislatures
• community engagement forums
• practical advice for social media
• how to convene a happiness council
• how to measure happiness including a scientifically valid happiness measurement instrument used by governments worldwide
• how to use data
• how to sample populations
• happiness policy screening tool modeled after the Government of Bhutan's Gross National Happiness Policy
Regional interest:
Seattle (WA), Santa Fe (NM), Vermont, Ann Arbour (MI), Eau Claire (WI), Warrensbury (MO), Nevada City (CA), Santa Monica (CA), Canada: Creston District, Valleyview AB, Edmonton, Province of AB, Waterloo, Victoria
• Jean Crowder is former member of parliament for Nanaimo
• B.C. Federation of BC Municipalities, Federation of Community of Municipalities, Vancouver Island Coastal MUnicipalities - all regions have annual conferences.
• Regional Interest - BC, University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, Creston District, City of Victoria Alberta - University of Alberta, Valleyview, Edmonton, Province of Alberta Ontario - University of Waterloo
Audience:
Policy makers, high level government officials, community organizers, community activists, professors and students of social and well-being policy, economics, psychology and other related disciplines
International:
• Can be used to assist global policy makers to take a leadership role bringing a focus on happiness
• Incheon and Seoul - South Korea, Siena - Italy, Madrid and Pamplona - Spain
• There is an increasing global interest in happiness policy
• All three authors have worked and are well known at international level of happiness policy and development
• The Happiness Alliance has developed a happiness measurement tool that is used by local and national governments world wide
• Laura Musikanski was an invited participant at the 2012 United Nations High-Level Meeting Well-being and Happiness meeting, the 2017 and 2018 Dialogue for Happiness and the 5 th and 6 th OECD World Forums Statistics, Knowledge and Policy meetings
• Rhonda Phillips is a three time Fullbright Scholar recipient and studied in Panama for 2 years and Ulster Ireland for one year
• Jean Crowder as a federal member of parliament for the New Democ
