Happy Rightists and Unhappy Extremists: Evidence from 90 Countries

Who are happier, liberals or conservatives? Findings have been mixed. Three large-scale studies (90 countries; N = 2,178,358) reveal that across years, across countries, and across measures, conservatism is robustly associated with greater positive affect and life satisfaction, and extremism (left- and right-wing) with greater depression, anxiety, and negative affect.