This is an edited version of my entry into the Google “Project 10” seeking “ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible”. It is edited to correct the “errors and omissions” that authors always find seconds after they’ve hit the Go key! ... Tony Payne

Happiocracy
democracy without the unhappiness

The questions below are based on those posed by Google in their submission form:

1. What one sentence (or two) best describes your idea?
Happiocracy is government of, by and for hereditors. Its purpose is to liberate the world’s 7 billion Minorities-Of-One (MOOs) from Legislated Unhappiness.


2. Describe your idea in more depth:
Happiocracy’s ‘greatest good’ is not about maximizing happiness; it is about minimizing government-induced unhappiERness, particularly of the unhappierest. The prefix “happi with an i” indicates that something furthers this end. The buzz words are happimoney, happicash, happilaw and so on. But there are other buzz words too.

The MOO is both Minority-Of-One and Microeconomy-Of-One. The MOO is the most important minority of all. The MOO is the common denominator of all relationships, groups, entities and economies. Empower the MOO to take care of himself or herself, and much else takes care of itself.

Hereditors are juror-shareholder-peer-citizen-representatives who have inherited the Ancestral Treasure for which their forebears shed blood, toil, tears and sweat. They are its Guardians, that they may bequeath it to their offspring. They do so by mutual representation, including sitting on juries to ratify happilaw on behalf of their peers. Each happiocracy decides by referendum who qualifies to be a hereditor.

Bloatwork is government-legislated work that is not worth its cost. It enlarges the gross domestic product whilst reducing real growth.

HappiLaw is one-law-at-a-time ratified by juries of anonymous hereditors randomly selected from the governed.

HappiCash, as opposed to ‘kind’, is the residue of federal revenue after allowing for federal expenses. It is divvied out equally to all hereditors.

HappiMoney, as in ‘the money supply’, is new check-account money created by government in regular, non-inflationary amounts. It is divvied out equally to all hereditors.

Happitax is a tax on natural resources, not income; a tax that is easy and cheap to collect; a tax whose collection and compliance costs are minimal.

Tax-and-divvy is to tax things and to divvy out all or part of the proceeds equally to all hereditors. If all of the proceeds, in full, are divvied out, that particular tax is called a "divvytax".

Happiocracy is a system because much happens automatically, regardless of the party in power. The faster the growth rate, the higher the federal tax revenue and the more happicash for All. Automatically. Without the politics.

There is a separation of geopolitics and domestic politics. At federal level, politicians concentrate on global affairs, leaving domestic affairs to local governments. At federal level, tax-and-divvy happens automatically for the benefit of All Not Some. At local level, competing local governments tax-and-spend in the usual way.

Happiocracy frees everyone from federal-mandated bloatwork that is not worth its cost. It pays dividends to all hereditors. In due course, hereditors become financially independent.

At last, after emancipation of the slaves and women, there will be Emancipation Of The MOO.


3. What problem or issues does your idea address?
Democracy, also known as unhappiocracy, causes much unhappiness because it is divisive.

There is no common goal. There is no common purpose. The whole system is about division - into Some Not All. The election process is riddled by profiling - by race, gender, education, income, Some Not All.

The rule of federal law is hogged by politicians - the mother of all special interest groups. For the whole of their term in office, they slice up federal revenue unequally for the benefit of Some Not All. They condone the mother of all privilege that allows banks to legally create money out of thin air, and charge interest on it. This benefits Some Not All, particularly members of the financial industry who are enabled to generate non-market levels of profit and to pay themselves handsomely in the process.

The federal justice system forces debatable decisions on All Not Some.

The solution is to change, not the politicians or party in power, but the system itself.


4. If your idea were to become a reality, who would benefit the most and how?
Everyone, especially the poor, the unemployed, the pensionless and the unhappierest. With happicash and happimoney dividends in their pockets, they will all become ever more financially secure with ever more time to pursue happiness in their own ways. They will be able to afford houses and mortgages.

The rural population will have the means to stay in their villages, with less temptation to go to the big cities. This will also benefit the big cities for they will have less overcrowding and less strain on their infrastructure and services.

Participation in the law making process will arguably be the biggest civics education program ever devised. In their new capacity as mentors and advisers, today’s judges and justices will pass onto thousands of juries and millions of jurors their vast store of institutional knowledge.

Happiocracy, particularly happicash, is a better solution than foreign aid for the 'developing countries' problem. The best and brightest will be more likely to stay at home and apply their talent to increasing their own countries' riches, than helping to make rich countries richer. Less immigration will reduce the unhappiness when birds of different feathers are forced together.

Even the rich will benefit for they will become less susceptible to violence, revolution and social disharmony.

5. What are the initial steps required to get this idea off the ground?

Education. It will be a big job spreading the word.

This means one or more generic websites with all the bells and whistles that allow people to interact and to build community in English and other languages.

It also means single-country websites that apply the principles of happiocracy to the specifics of that country. In the local language, with English translation.

Each country needs its own organization to market the idea and get people involved.

The above is already happening in a small way. The “website” is not a website. It is simply a collection of blogger blogs that can be accessed directly at
www.happiocracy-happinomics-home6.blogspot.com
Or via the dotcom address of one of the buzz words above. For example:
www.happiocracy.com , www.happicash.com and so on,

There needs to be a book.


6. Describe the optimal outcome should your idea be selected and successfully implemented. How would you measure it?

A world of happiocracies; a world of abundance in which everyone will have the Time and Means to pursue happiness in his or her own way; a world that will have achieved Emancipation Of The MOO (Minority Of One) from government-induced unhappierness; a world where everyone is Financially Independent and as Self Sufficient as possible; a world where each MOO is ready for the next Big One when it comes. A world at peace.

Full Unemployment will obtain. Robots will do the work that humans won’t. Mercenaries will do the remaining work that others won’t. Passionados will work on their own dreams, with or without pay. Everyone will have the time and means to help others.

Wealthierness for All (ever larger dividends) will be the yardstick by which government is judged - not because wealth necessarily brings happiness, but because it can surely relieve unhappiness. It empowers everyone to help others

See also:

happierism : the new 'greatest good'
happiocracy : table of contents
hereditors : the guardians of endangered cultures
unhappierness : what government causes