If you're happy and you know it, check the box.

• Position: Massachusetts - Brief article

The Declaration of Independence says the pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right, but can it be measured? The town of Somerville, Massachusetts, thinks it can. Last spring, it mailed out a survey with its local census forms that asked residents to rate how happy they are on a scale of I to 10. The Boston suburb has many colleges nearby--and prides itself on being the birthplace of Marshmallow Fluff. It's the first U.S. town to follow the lead of countries like Britain and France, which have been...