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Pew Survey: Republicans Are Happier

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Don’t worry, be happy – and be a Republican.

Conservative Republicans are significantly more likely to say they are "very happy” than are liberal Democrats, a Pew Research Center survey reveals.

The survey of more than 3,000 adults found that 47 percent of conservative Republicans are "very happy,” as are 45 percent of moderate/liberal Republicans. But only 28 percent of liberal Democrats say they are very happy, as do 31 percent of conservative/moderate Democrats. Among Independents, 29 percent are very happy.

"Could it be that Republicans are so much happier now because their party controls all the levers of federal power?” the Pew report asks.

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  "Not likely. Since 1972, the GOP happiness edge over Democrats has ebbed and flowed in a pattern that appears unrelated to which party is in political power.”

Republicans still hold an edge when household income is considered – poor Republicans are happier than poor Democrats, middle-income Republicans are happier than middle-income Democrats, and rich Republicans are happier than rich Democrats.

"This finding is niftily self-reinforcing,” quips syndicated columnist George F. Will, reporting on the survey. "It depresses liberals.”

Overall, 34 percent of those surveyed said they are very happy; about 50 percent said they are "pretty happy,” and 15 percent are "not too happy.”

Other findings of the Pew survey: