The Role Unhappiness Plays in How People Vote
The Hill
September 27, 2020
April 08, 2026
Penn researchers found that county-level unhappiness was a stronger predictor of the 2016 Trump vote than income, employment, race, religion, or traditional demographics — based on Gallup poll data from over 2 million respondents. The research suggests that dissatisfied communities mobilize more strongly behind anti-establishment candidates, with implications for how public health and economic policy intersect with political behavior. Featured: Lyle Ungar, Johannes Eichstaedt.