The Pursuit of Happiness in a More Perfect Union ─ Creating an American Economy of Equal Opportunity

The conflict between conservatives and liberals over public economic policy appears to have become a permanent feature of the American political landscape. Conservatives seek economic solutions with the market as virtually the sole organizing economic principle, invoking individualism inspired by the Declaration of Independence’s right to the pursuit of happiness. Liberals look to an important economic role for a federal government established by the Constitution to promote the general welfare. In addition to the disagreement among the political class, there is also no agreement among economists, with no model reliably predicting the economic crises of recent decades. Under these circumstances, the author believes individualism and the concern for the common good may only be reconciled through policies which promote equality of opportunity or, as Abraham Lincoln expressed it, “equal privileges in the race of life, with all its desirable human aspirations.”

The reconciliation of individualism and the common good is developed through reviews of the meaning of liberty, happiness, and their economic implications. The historical performance of the American economy is described in the context of the evolution of American federal government from one of limited economic scope, supporting laissez-faire capitalism, to the current mixed government. The more expansive role of government is described in terms of taxation policy and spending, including concerns over the national debt and its significance. With this background, the general reader is invited to follow the author’s path to a policy of equality of opportunity with specific proposals for an end to poverty, assistance to children, assistance to postsecondary education and training, and commitments to social and medical security. A specific taxation policy is proposed to fund these programs while maintaining a prudent and manageable national debt. Associated with these proposals are reforms to make the federal government more representative of the people.

Robert G. Bill was a researcher in fire and fire protection for twenty-five years at FM Global, a major industrial and commercial mutual property insurer that operates the world’s largest full-scale fire research facility. There, he was assistant vice president and director of research for fire hazards and protection, overseeing research in areas of flammability, fire spread, material reactivity, and fire-protection systems. Prior to joining FM Global, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University, conducting research in turbulent combustion. He holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in mechanical engineering from Cornell University. His publications include research in the areas of fluid mechanics, micrometeorology, combustion, and fire protection. In 1994 and 2003, he received the National Fire Protection Association’s Bigglestone Award for communication of scientific concepts in fire protection. From 2002 to 2008, he served on the executive committee of the International Association for Fire Safety Science and, in 2009, was elected as a lifetime honorary member equivalent to the grade of fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineering. Currently retired, Dr. Bill enjoys time with family, community volunteering, playing the violin, singing in his church choir, and walking his fox terrier. He is the author of Images of Mathematics Viewed Through Number, Algebra, and Geometry.