Gallup: Republicans Are Happier Than Democrats

We've noted, especially in the past year, that in addition to displaying their famous anger, Democrats tend to be dour and glum, in contrast to the Reaganesque optimism of Republicans. Now a new poll backs up the observation.

A Gallup Poll conducted Dec. 11-14 shows that a slight majority (55 percent) of Americans are "very happy" and almost everyone at least "fairly happy," and a bare 4 percent admit to being unhappy, according to Gallup News Service.

When it comes to political affiliation, however, the spread between those who say they are very happy widens between Republican and Democrats. According to the poll, released yesterday, 62 percent of Republicans say they are "very happy," but only 50 percent of Democrats report being blissful.

Moreover, whereas a bare 3 percent of Republicans admit to being unhappy, more than twice that number of Democrats, 7 percent, classify themselves as downcast. Smack in the middle are "independents," with 4 percent admitting to being down in the dumps.

"Why Republicans are happier is not clear, but the result has been the same in nearly every asking of this measure since 1996, including one reading under former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, and three under Republican President George W. Bush," Gallup reported. "Only in 1996 did Republicans and Democrats express about equal levels of happiness."

According to Gallup's sampling, marriage is clearly associated with happiness. Only 45 percent of unmarried adults, compared with 62 percent of married ones, say they are very happy.

"Americans' subjective sense of well being is as high today as at any time in the history of these Gallup trends," the pollsters noted. "The 55% saying they are very happy today is slightly improved over the 49% recorded a year ago, and is the highest level seen across the 13 readings taken since 1956 (though the 1956-1957 readings are statistically similar to the current reading). The lowest point on this measure was seen in November 2001, just two months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when only 37% said they were very happy."

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