nep-hap New Economics Papers
on Economics of Happiness
Issue of 2023‒09‒04
one paper chosen by
Viviana Di Giovinazzo, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca


  1. The socio political demography of happiness By Peltzman, Sam

  1. By: Peltzman, Sam
    Abstract: Since 1972 the General Social Survey (GSS) has asked a representative sample of US adults "[are] you very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?" Overall, the population is reasonably happy even after a mild recent decline. I focus on differences along standard socio demographic dimensions: age, race, gender, education, marital status income and geography. I also explore political and social differences. Being married is the most important differentiator with a 30-percentage point happy-unhappy gap over the unmarried. Income is also important, but Easterlin's (1974) paradox applies: the rich are much happier than the poor at any moment, but income growth doesn't matter. Education and racial differences are also consequential, though the black-white gap has narrowed substantially. Geographic, gender and age differences have been relatively unimportant, though old-age unhappiness may be emerging. Conservatives are distinctly happier than liberals as are people who trust others or the Federal government. All above differences survive control for other differences.
    Keywords: happiness, demographics, family, Easterlin paradox, education, income, social capital, political ideology
    JEL: D10 D60 E01 I31 J10 J12 J18 Z13
    Date: 2023
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:cbscwp:331&r=hap

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