Joe Biden and Donald Trump (Credit: Openverse)
????What To Know:
- Biden voters reported being happier than Trump voters.
- 56% of younger Americans say they’re dissatisfied with their lives.
- Election Day this year is November 5, 2024.
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Does your level of happiness in life influence who you’re voting for this November? A new survey conducted by Florida Atlantic University’s PolCom and Mainstreet Research has found that supporters of the Democratic party and President Joe Biden are generally happier than Americans supporting the Republican party and Donald Trump.
“Happiness is important to understand as it influences the well-being and satisfaction of citizens, which in turn shapes their voting behavior,” says Dr. Carol Bishop Mills, FAU’s communication professor, PolCom co-director, and an expert in relational communication, in a university release. “As demonstrated by Ronald Reagan’s enduring question in the 1980 presidential election, ‘Are you better off today than you were four years ago?’ capturing public sentiment toward governance and policy efficacy is critical — especially in today’s contentious political climate.”
Employing the well-established “Satisfaction with Life Scale” to measure overall happiness, the poll reveals insights into how happiness correlates with political leanings, age, and economic status. For instance, 69 percent of Democratic voters reported feeling at least “slightly satisfied” with their lives, a sentiment shared by 66 percent of Republican voters. However, the gap widens when focusing on the prospective 2024 presidential race, with 75 percent of Biden supporters expressing satisfaction, compared to 62 percent of Trump supporters.
Will younger voters break for Donald Trump?
The poll’s findings also spotlight a trend among younger voters between 18 and 34, where approximately 56 percent conveyed dissatisfaction with their lives. This discontent among younger demographics inversely mirrors their reported happiness levels, with a majority indicating a preference for former President Trump in the upcoming election cycle.
“This finding is important. Generally, young adults through the early 30s have high levels of happiness, bolstered by optimism, new experiences and independence. Then, happiness dips for mid-life periods and rebounds with the highest levels in adults over 50,” explains Mills. “Young people with high levels of unhappiness is noteworthy — and so is the level of satisfaction among older voters. We have seen a rise in depression, anxiety and mental health issues in the younger population, and it is important to take these concerns seriously.”
The survey also examined a variety of demographics, revealing that while happiness is a universal pursuit, actually finding happiness and its impact on political preferences significantly vary across income levels, race, and education. For example, higher-income respondents reported greater levels of happiness, which also translated into political support, showcasing an economic divide in voter satisfaction and preference.
As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the FAU/Mainstreet poll indicates a tightly contested battle between Biden and Trump, with both candidates neck and neck among voters.
Methodology
The analysis is based on the results of a survey conducted Wednesday, March 15 to Friday, March 17, with a sample of 1,053 adults, 18 years of age or older, registered to vote, and living in the United States. The survey was conducted using text message recruitment and interactive voice response to complete the survey. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 3.0 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. Margins of error are higher in each subsample.
StudyFinds’ Matt Higgins contributed to this report.
