Seriously?

A new National Research Council study, funded in part by NIH, concluded the federal government should care whether Americans are happy or sad. Statistical agencies should track how many times people smile or say they're stressed. The answers could help the government shape policies on benefits, like retirement age and pensions, healthcare or unemployment. Outside researchers say the United States lags behind other countries in trying to quantify happiness. It ranks 17th in a world happiness ranking directed by the firm Helliwell.