Gross National Happiness

By Peter Wonacott

Excerpted from the Wall Street Journal

THIMPHU, Bhutan -- If you're happy and you know it, and you happen to be Bhutanese, Karma Tshiteem might like a word with you.

Mr. Tshiteem is the new head of the Gross National Happiness Commission for the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. It's his job to figure out how to boost morale as this long-isolated country hurtles toward modernization.

Developed in the 1980s by Bhutan's fourth king, Gross National Happiness, or GNH, is a Bhutanese twist on Gross Domestic Product. Up till now, it has not represented an actual dollar figure, but rather, a fuzzy set of principles on the environment and culture. It has produced unique policies, such as a smoking ban, strict limits on deforestation and a dress code.

Now, GNH is about to face a series of big tests. On Monday, Bhutan will hold its first democratic election. That will install a parliament, pass a new constitution and dilute the powers of a popular monarch. Later this year, Bhutan plans to join the World Trade Organization, even though its industry comprises little more than high-end tourism and hydroelectric power.

As Bhutan enters these uncharted political and economic waters, its leaders want to prove that they can achieve economic growth while maintaining good governance, protecting the environment and preserving an ancient culture. To do that, they've decided to start calculating GNH. It means coming up with an actual happiness index that can be tracked over time.

Read the full article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120612464243755427.html?mod=hpp_us_pageone