What institutions and policies are most conducive to human flourishing?
1. INTRODUCTION
What do we want in a good society?
PART 1. WHAT WE WANT IN A GOOD SOCIETY
2. COMMUNITY
3. DEMOCRACY
Voters, groups, parties, and elections
The right-wing populist challenge
4. ECONOMIC EQUALITY
5. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
6. ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
7. ECONOMIC SECURITY
A decent and rising income floor
8. EDUCATION
K-12 education
9. EMPLOYMENT
10. ENVIRONMENT
11. FAMILY
12. FINANCE
13. FREEDOM
14. GOOD GOVERNMENT
Good government
Competition policy
Big government: effects on the economy
Big government: effects on freedom, civil society, and happiness
15. HAPPINESS
16. HEALTH
17. HOUSING
Homeownership
18. INCLUSION
Disabled
19. KNOWLEDGE
Information
Truth
20. OPENNESS AND SUPPORT FOR OTHER PEOPLES
21. ORDER
22. PRIVACY
Privacy
23. PROGRESS
Neoliberal regress?
24. RIGHTS
25. SAFETY
PART 2. HOW TO GET GOOD-SOCIETY OUTCOMES
26. WHAT WORKS
How to ensure rising incomes when labor unions are weak
Cities
International security and integration
27. AMENDMENTS, ADDITIONS, ALTERNATIVES
Competition and big business
Is big government bad for the economy?
Is big government bad for freedom, civil society, and happiness?
Will the Nordic model work in non-Nordic countries?
PART 3. A BETTER AMERICA
28. PROSPECTS FOR THE UNITED STATES
America is exceptional and ordinary, good and bad, better and worse
Toward the good society: an American path
PART 4. THE GOOD LIFE IN THE GOOD SOCIETY
29. WHAT AN INDIVIDUAL CAN DO
APPENDIX A: OPEN ACCESS BOOKS ON THE GOOD SOCIETY
Is Inequality the Problem? (open access in October 2026)
Would Democratic Socialism Be Better?
APPENDIX B: ADDITIONAL DATA
A decent and rising income floor: additional data
Climate stability: additional data
College education: additional data
Employee voice: additional data
Income distribution: additional data
K-12 education: additional data
Personal freedom: additional data
Social connections: additional data
Voters, groups, parties, and elections: additional data
APPENDIX C: SUPPLEMENTS