In Pursuit: Of Happiness and Good Government

By Charles A. Murray and Charles Murray

Book Overview

Respected author, scholar, and columnist Charles Murray has long challenged accepted notions of public and social policy issues. In this volume, originally published in 1988, Murray presents a persuasive and practical argument that reconsiders commonly held beliefs of what constitutes success in social policy by examining the scope of government and its role in people's pursuit of happiness.

In Pursuit: Of Happiness and Good Government begins by examining James Madison's statement: "A good government implies two things; first, fidelity to the object of government, which is the happiness of the people; secondly, a knowledge of the means by which that object can best be attained." Murray exhibits a thoughtful, accessible writing style as he considers such basic, important questions as whether individual efforts or government reform should be responsible for dealing with society's problems. Drawing from his minimalist-government viewpoint, Murray proposes that government not try to force happiness on the people with federal policies or programs but, rather, that it provide conditions that enable people to pursue happiness on their own.

Murray also proposes that the pursuit of happiness be used as a framework for analyzing the efficacy of public policy, and he comes to the conclusion that Jeffersonian democracy is still the best way to run society, even today's complex society.

Charles Murray is the W. H. Brady Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. He has written numerous books, including Coming Apart, Losing Ground, Real Education, and Human Accomplishment. He is perhaps best known for coauthoring the 1994 New York Times bestseller The Bell Curve with the late Richard J. Herrnstein.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0865978433
• ISBN13: 9780865978430
• Release Date: February 2013
• Publisher: Amagi
• Length: 328 Pages
• Weight: 1.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.2" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 18 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Postsecondary to Grade 5

Customer Reviews

Original and thought-provoking.

While his first book, _Losing Ground..._, made an argument that was based on an array of social science data, Murray here employs the mode of reasoning used by classical economists such as Say and Smith: common sense. When you get through his thought experiments, you'll find that you return to them again and again. Quite an invigorating book.

The Philosophy of Public Policy

Whenever Charles Murray writes, people listen. His book In Pursuit of Happiness and Good Government is no exception. This book gives a wake up call to anyone who has crafted or believed in modern political policy. The main problem the author views with our country's present policy system is the lack of understanding the point of our policies. He brilliantly asserts the reason behind anything the government does is the pursuit of happiness; a main point of the Declaration of Independence. To read the rest of this review, or to look at others, go to the World Wide Web Book Review at their NEW web address: http://WebBookReview.co