Liberal Unhappiness: Thirty Year Research

Liberal Unhappiness

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AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE

Why We're Happy

By Arthur C. Brooks

Monday, June 16, 2008

Reader's Digest (July 2008) Publication Date: June 16, 2008

Full article Arthur C. Brooks American Enterprise Institute

Excerpts:

You want to be happy. I'm going to make this assumption, and I think I'm in pretty smart company to do so. Socrates once asked his students, "Do not all men desire happiness?" A student answered him, "There is no one who does not."

If Socrates was right, isn't it reasonable to assume that a decent nation will, at minimum, create the conditions in which its citizens can best pursue happiness? In the Declaration of Independence, the Founders didn't treat happiness as some fuzzy concept; they believed that people wanted happiness and had the right to pursue it. Along with life and liberty, happiness was the connection between the Creator and our nation's destiny, and the ability of its citizens to pursue and achieve happiness was a measure of the effectiveness and morality of the state.

According to hundreds of reliable surveys of thousands of people across the land, happy people increase our prosperity and strengthen our communities.

But today's leaders and policymakers seem to have forgotten this. To hear politicians talk about gross domestic product, health-care reform, and Social Security, you'd think that this nation's Founding Fathers held as self-evident that we are endowed by our Creator with the ability to purchase new, high-quality consumer durables each and every year, or to enjoy healthy economic growth with low inflation and full employment. The Founders didn't talk about these matters, not because they're unimportant, but because they believed happiness went deeper.

Pew Center research shows that liberal unhappiness, when comparing liberals to conservatives, has prevailed over a fairly long period.

Not just recent research, although the recent data does support this idea, but data going back to the early 1970's shows this to be the general picture.

Election Outcomes?

Democratic victories in elections do not swing the happiness gate back to Democrats (liberals).

Liberal Unhappiness

Conservatives still find more happiness in their lives during years of Democratic rule, going back as far as 1972.

The study shows that Republicans were happier than Democrats by fairly large margins during the Clinton and Carter Presidencies.

Conservatives generally have more wealth than Liberals.

When making comparisons of poor and middle class Republicans, to Democrats who are poor and middle class, Republicans still hold a significant edge.

Poor Republicans are happier than poor Democrats; middle-income Republicans are happier than middle-income Democrats, and rich Republicans are happier than rich Democrats.

FDR's years as President, apparently ingrained the idea into millions of minds, that government could solve problems not otherwise solvable.

This certainty persisted with many of us for years.

Reality however, and empirical evidence convinces us otherwise, unless one clings steadfastly to the nanny state mentality.

Zell Miller, a lifelong and steadfast Democrat states that Democrats today practice the motto of the old commercial, 99 and 44/100 per cent pure, meaning they are not willing to compromise. Zell Stated “If they get 7 out of 10 issues their way, that's not enough. They need all 10 or they lash out at those who disagree.”

Liberal Unhappiness February 23, 2007

From: Alliance Defense Fund (ADF)

Under God...Under Attack

Inside the Issues with Alan Sears

Full article To Allan Sears-Alliance Defense Fund

Excerpts:

The anti-religionists, represented by well-known atheist Michael Newdow and others, have filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire to challenge the inclusion of the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.

You remember Mr. Newdow. He's the same one who sued Congress and the Elk Grove Unified School District in California, demanding the removal of "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance to our nation's flag. In 2005, he sued President Bush to prohibit a minister from delivering an invocation at the President's inaugural ceremony.

FFRF is also no stranger to the spotlight. Just last year, in Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., they challenged the funding of a White House initiative that informed both faith-based and secular organizations about federal funding for programs that help the poor.

Liberal Unhappiness To Pew Research Center