The Happiness Gap

piercehawkeye45 · 11-02-2007, 02:59 PM

From here.

If the link runs out just ask and I will post the rest of the article.

Quote:

American voters are generally happy with their own lives. Eighty-six percent of Americans say they are content with their jobs, according to the General Social Survey. Seventy-six percent of Americans say they are satisfied with their family income, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Sixty-two percent of Americans expect their personal situation to get better over the next five years, according to a Harris Poll, compared with only 7 percent who expect it to get worse.

Researchers from Pew found that 65 percent of Americans are satisfied over all with their own lives — one of the highest rates of personal satisfaction in the world today.

On the other hand, Americans are overwhelmingly pessimistic about their public institutions. That same Pew survey found that only 25 percent of Americans are satisfied with the state of their nation. That 40-point gap between private and public happiness is the fourth-largest gap in the world — behind only Israel, Mexico and Brazil.

I am very certain this is a defining force in American politics because it shows the separation most people have been personal and political lives. Any opinions?

freshnesschronic · 11-02-2007, 04:03 PM

Dang, that's exactly what I was gonna say. Separation of work and state, er personal life and state, I mean....yeah that.
Guess the US is a pretty optimistic nation, which is a good thing!

Cicero · 11-02-2007, 06:31 PM

You must be young enough to still believe surveys......and polls.

Poor thing hasn't been jaded by the reality of qualifiers...

piercehawkeye45 · 11-03-2007, 11:29 AM

Haha, well "Panem et Circensus" Cicero.

Terminator_484 · 11-09-2007, 09:18 PM

The first paragraph sounds like a pure hoax. Every American I know would say the exact opposite...

Clodfobble · 11-09-2007, 09:59 PM

Don't ever get to know me then--clearly it would turn your world upside down.

queequeger · 11-10-2007, 06:17 AM

Terminator, that's your anecdotal observations. If I went by my immediate surroundings, 90% of the US is in the military, 70% of the military is liberal and 75% of the US drinks and smokes.

And while polls can be bogus, you have to look at the method used before declaring it bogus or not. It's pretty common for people to ignore a poll they disagree by just saying "psh, a poll." We use exit polls to call the presidency before it's fully counted, and it's accurate to within a percentage point or less.

Clodfobble · 11-10-2007, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queequeger

We use exit polls to call the presidency before it's fully counted, and it's accurate to within a percentage point or less.

Except for the times that it isn't...

tw · 11-10-2007, 04:02 PM

25% of military veterans are homeless. Do they get polled?

11-02-2007, 06:31 PM	#3
Cicero Looking forward to open mic night. Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New Mexico Posts: 5,148	You must be young enough to still believe surveys......and polls. Poor thing hasn't been jaded by the reality of qualifiers... __________________ Show me a sane man, and I will cure him for you.- Carl Jung

11-09-2007, 09:18 PM	#5
Terminator_484 FedCom representative Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: FedCom Posts: 23	The first paragraph sounds like a pure hoax. Every American I know would say the exact opposite... __________________ FedCom: a new nation, a new direction, a new start.

11-10-2007, 06:17 AM	#7
queequeger Hypercharismatic Telepathical Knight Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The armpit of the Universe... Augusta, GA Posts: 365	Terminator, that's your anecdotal observations. If I went by my immediate surroundings, 90% of the US is in the military, 70% of the military is liberal and 75% of the US drinks and smokes. And while polls can be bogus, you have to look at the method used before declaring it bogus or not. It's pretty common for people to ignore a poll they disagree by just saying "psh, a poll." We use exit polls to call the presidency before it's fully counted, and it's accurate to within a percentage point or less. __________________ Hoocha, hoocha, hoocha... lobster.

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11-02-2007, 04:03 PM	#2
freshnesschronic Professor Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,555	Dang, that's exactly what I was gonna say. Separation of work and state, er personal life and state, I mean....yeah that. Guess the US is a pretty optimistic nation, which is a good thing!

11-03-2007, 11:29 AM	#4
piercehawkeye45 Franklin Pierce Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,695	Haha, well "Panem et Circensus" Cicero.

11-09-2007, 09:59 PM	#6
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	Don't ever get to know me then--clearly it would turn your world upside down.

11-10-2007, 04:02 PM	#9
tw Read? I only know how to write. Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 11,933	25% of military veterans are homeless. Do they get polled?

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