«Happiness policy» in the social state.

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the problem of happiness and the policy of happiness in social states. The aim of the work is to determine the role of the social state in the formation of a society of happy people and how it will implement the "policy of happiness." The scientific novelty of the study is in determining the ability to pursue the policy of happiness in a competitive society. The study shows an increase in interest in the problem of happiness of both scientists and politicians. An interdisciplinary approach to the study of the problem of happiness is noted. It is noted that the idea of the ways of forming a socially just society is changing. Attention is paid to discussions about maximizing happiness as the goal of government. The essence of the social state is determined, which most consistently implements the task of creating decent living conditions for people. The importance of freedom in ensuring human happiness and the need for the state to provide social protection from the negative impact on society of economic freedom and the market are proved. The level of protection of citizens from the market (level of decommodification) is considered as one of the criteria for various models of the social state. Various strategies are analyzed and evaluated to best meet the needs of society and their practical application in different countries: traditionally left (supports the state guarantee of human needs) traditionally right (satisfaction of needs depends on the market); strategies combining the characteristics of these two strategies (“hybrid”). The difference between countries that use “hybrid” strategies is that there is more to it – a “market” or “market regulation to meet the needs of the population.” As an example, we consider the use of "hybrid" strategies in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, where there was a "market socialism economy." The compatibility of libertarian ideas with the policy of happiness proclaimed in Ukraine is determined. It is concluded that the realization of aspirations to form a society of happy people in Ukraine depends on the construction of a social state.