The Pursuit of Happiness is an essential human right. Exemplary thinkers Socrates and Confucius implied that happiness is a central goal of life and education. Written by the founders of U.S. government, "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 be best attained", as Federalist Papers state. Internationally, governments continuously search for different means and ways to attain success and as a result, happiness. (I need a transition from the bold part to this italicized part. They don't seem to connect, but we can work on that later.) Although the government shutdown of 1995 and that in 2013 provided several disadvantages, the result of conflicts also offered benefits that ameliorated the psychological states of workers in the government. The shutdown bettered American society once it reopened as well as resulted in happiness for those who decided to temporarily stop government services for several reasons. This proposes an answer to the question: Did the government shutdown lead to a better life with increased happiness as opposed to having been an unavoidable halt in the system that runs the country?
Of course in the case of the American government, one highlighted recurring problem that all citizens are aware of is the case of debt.
United States
Diagram of US Federal Government and American Unio...
English: Newt Gingrich at a political conference i...As of 2011, Danny Dorling and Benjamin Henning quantify the United States' national debt at $14.3 trillion. As a result, the market is worrying that the shutdown is depressing economic growth. However, weak growth is good for bonds. In fact, even if the government fails to pay interest, it might not be bad for bonds. The resulting loss of liquidity and fear for the stability of the financial system might encourage investors to hold bonds...