We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - The Declaration of Independence
What is a government's core mission? To create conditions conducive to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Briefly:
Life is a matter of basic needs: food, shelter, safety.
Liberty is freedom from the coercive interference of others.
The Pursuit of Happiness is … more complicated.
In its original Founding-Father sense, happiness was akin to felicity, a kind of well-being that comes from living a purposeful and productive life. Today we would call that sense of well-being flourishing. What are the conditions conducive to flourishing? Here are a few:
Meaning: you have goals that feel important and valuable
Sense of control: you can actually change a situation, allowing you to pursue meaningful goals
Self-efficacy: you're pretty confident you can do what's needed to get closer to your goals
So what does a government need to do to create conditions conducive to flourishing? Put differently, what does a government need to do to increase the sense of control and self-efficacy of its citizens, allowing them to pursue purposeful and productive lives?
Put simply, remove the barriers to flourishing and insure opportunities for flourishing. Barriers would include insufficient guarantees of Life and Liberty. Opportunities would be whatever fosters social mobility and the impulse to explore.