In order to be sustainable and provide the best possible quality of life for its population, a government must have the following mandates:

1) Preserve freedom and agency: ensure individuals and organizations have the ability to act, innovate, and create value. This must be protected from forcible action without respect for autonomy or capacity by state or private actors.
2) Embed cognitive empathy in policy: design laws and regulations that consider systemic impact, not just short-term gains. Policies never demand empathy when people lack energy or agency.
3) Maintain systemic resilience: anticipate and mitigate resource scarcity without triggering fear-based competition. Invest in adaptvie infrastructure (health, education, energy) to restore capacity before demanding more from citizens.
4) Enable adaptive contribution: reward contribution based on impact, not raw effort or privilege. Support conditions for equitable participation without enforcing uniform outcomes.
5) Foster trust and transparency: make decision-making processes clear and inclusive. Build mechanisms for feedback and reciprocal accountability between citizens and institutions.
6) Balance scarcity and innovation: encourage market-driven solutions while preventing exploititive practices. Promote cooperation in areas where zero-sum competition would harm systemic stability.

The government thus becomes a fcilitator of responsible autonomy and systemic health, not a controller of outcomes. Its role is to create conditions where agency and empathy can coexist without forced action that disregards autonomy or capacity.