This document discusses policies that could increase personal satisfaction and happiness, specifically as it relates to personal relationships and social support. It examines same-sex marriage laws, public daycare, and strategies for improving data collection and anti-discrimination laws. Same-sex marriage laws are said to send a message of acceptance and help reduce suicide rates for LGBT youth. Public daycare is outlined with recommendations for teacher to child ratios, education requirements, flexible hours, and costs being similar to kindergarten. Better data collection and stories are suggested to educate policymakers, and anti-discrimination laws should include sexual orientation and gender identity protections.

1. Pathways to Happiness
Policies to address satisfaction with personal relationships

2. Pathways to Happiness are ways to increase
people’s satisfaction
with personal
relationships

3. Social
Support
scores are
strong but
have edged
down over
time.
100= happiest

4. Let’s look at one aspect of social support:
satisfaction with
personal relationships

5. Our satisfaction
with personal
relationships
dipped but is
getting better
a score below 40 means we are not satisfied with our relationships, 70 or above means we are satisfied

6. Courageous Policies

7. Same Sex Marriage Laws
Sends a societal message of acceptance
Remove basis for bias, bullying & bigotry
Help to ease suicide rates for lgbt youth

8. USA State Law Facts: http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/28/us/same-sex-marriage-
fast-facts/
Resources for Same Sex Marriage Laws
Countries where being gay is against the law:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/gay-lesbian-bisexual-relationships-illegal-in-
74-countries-a7033666.html
White Paper with Model Legislation:
http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Pizer-Kuehl-Model-Marriage-
Report.pdf

9. Public Day Care
Ratio of teacher to child 1- 3 for babies, 1-4 for toddlers
Education degrees and salaries same as teachers for
caretakers
Flexible hours for parents who work evenings (healthcare,
actors…)
Nurseries & Preschool part of the public school system
Costs same as for kindergarten (parent pay 1/3 or less of cost)

10. Resources for public day care
White paper about public day care in Denmark:
http://www.oecd.org/education/school/2475168.pdf
Presentation about public day care implications:
https://www.barnardos.ie/assets/files/Advocacy/2013ScandinavianChildc
are/Tine-Rostgaard-Nordic-Models.pdf
Article about state run childcare:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/feb/18/britain-learn-denmark-
childcare-model

11. What’s it going to take?

12. Better Data and Data Stories
Example of data that is gathered and data stories for child care:
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/early_years/2014/03/children_enrolled_in_geor
gias_universal.html
Use current data, collect more data, tell stories with data and
educate policy makers.

13. Fight for Justice for All
Include sexual orientation and gender identity in state-wide
employment non-discrimination laws.
Expand anti-discrimination laws.

14. 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

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