Happiness is a GOP Thing

Pew Research Center

Poll shows 84% of
Americans are
Happy or Very Happy
only 15% are
unhappy






The recent public survey by the Pew Research Center shows that, once again, Americans are among the happiest people in the world. And these numbers have remained very stable for a very long time.

But some of us are happier than others. Can you guess who?

Married people are happier than unmarrieds. Married people (43% very happy) are a good bit happier than unmarrieds (24%) and this has been a consistent finding over many years and many surveys. It holds up for men as well as for women, and for the old as well as the young.

People who worship frequently are happier than those who don't. People who attend religious services weekly are happier (43% very happy) than those who attend monthly or less (31%); or seldom or never (26%). This correlation has been a consistent finding in the General Social Surveys taken over the years.

Republicans are happier than Democrats. Some 45% of all Republicans report being very happy, compared with just 30% of Democrats and 29% of independents. This is not because their Party is in power, in fact Republicans have been happier than Democrats every year since the General Social Survey began taking polls in 1972. If one controls for household income, Republicans still hold a significant edge: that is, poor Republicans are happier than poor Democrats; middle-income Republicans are happier than middle-income Democrats, and rich Republicans are happier than rich Democrats.

Rich people are happier than poor people. The survey shows that nearly half (49%) of those with an annual family income of more than $100,000 say they're very happy, while just 24% of those with less than $30,000 say they're very happy. Here again politics plays a significant role. Republicans who make the low-middle income of $30,000 - $50,000 are already very happy (44%) while Democrats in that income range are only 23% very happy. Democrats have to make between $50,000 - $75,000 to have 30% in the very happy category.

Whites and Hispanics are happier than blacks. Blacks (28%) are somewhat less likely than whites (36%) or Hispanics (34%) to report being very happy. But among blacks, there is no correlation with income - blacks with a family income of $50,000 a year or more are about equally likely to say they are very happy (28%) than are blacks with a family income of less than $50,000 (27%).

So if you happen to be a married, religious, white Republican with an income greater than $30,000 you are in fat city! Hey,... that's me.






45% of Republicans
are Very Happy

compared to
30% of Dems