Alternative explanation would be quite different: once people have their needs and worries taken care of, they immediately think of new needs. These new needs are (naturally) not being catered (yet), so people feel unhappy. Once these are catered, new ones are created.

If my neighbours have a car but I don't, I'm unhappy. If I get a car, I'm unhappy since my neighbours have an SUV. Once I get an SUV, I'm unhappy since they have one with climate control, power windows, roof window, and navigation. Rinse, repeat.

This explanation talks more about what we humans are as a species, and less about government etc.