The happiness divide

Too many of us assume that our neighbor’s political convictions are simply private beliefs that have no real consequence for everyday life. But as the great conservative scholar Richard M. Weaver reminded us all, ideas have consequences.

This truth is demonstrated powerfully in our day. Strong social science is showing us that leftist ideas are just not serving people well. Let’s examine a fundamental gateway to a rewarding adulthood and greater happiness—marriage and parenthood.

It is often claimed that marriage and parenthood, especially for women, are no ticket to happiness and fulfillment. But new findings by celebrated researcher Jean Twenge refute this claim. She reports, “Consistent with previous surveys, our new survey finds that married mothers are happier than unmarried women or women without children.” It’s not even close. In fact, “Nearly twice as many married mothers say they are ‘very happy’ as unmarried women without children.” Married mothers are also more likely to report their lives being enjoyable “most or all of the time” in the last 30 days compared to married and unmarried childless women. Married fathers also derive profound happiness and health benefits over their unmarried, childless peers.

Professor Tyler J. VanderWeele, director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, tells us the well-being “effects of family life, and of marriage, are profound” for men and women. Specifically, “marriage is associated with better mental health, physical health, and longevity, even controlling for baseline health.” This means marriage itself boosts well-being. Vanderweele concludes, “Marriage and family thus appear to be an important pathway to flourishing.”

So, what do these measurable benefits have to do with political beliefs? Aren’t Red and Blue America equal when it comes to marriage and fertility? No. And the gaps between them, including sex differences, are growing more dramatic.

Data from the gold-standard General Social Survey demonstrate that liberal young American women (Age 18-30) are dramatically more likely to be single than their conservative female peers. Liberal males also outpace their conservative male peers in singleness, but by a smaller margin.

Recent research demonstrates the same finding. Scholars at the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) reported in September that “Democrats increasingly seem to be the party of single women and the childless” while “Republicans, by contrast, are increasingly the party of those who value marriage and children.” By the end of their fertile years, conservative women today have enough babies to replace themselves and their husband with an average fertility rate of 2.1. Their liberal peers lag way behind with an average fertility rate of just 1.5, while moderate women have slightly more at 1.8. Conservative ladies consistently desire more children than both their liberal and moderate peers.

IFS also explains, “Married women have substantially more children than unmarried women, and conservative women are much more likely to be married at every age.” The distinctions are consistent and important.

As Lyman Stone and Brad Wilcox have explained, this political divide by sex and family desire does not bode well for future marriage prospects as Gen Z women have moved leftward in greater numbers while a substantial minority of Gen Z men have gone right. As politically mixed marriages have been falling in desirability, it will be harder for the growing number of conservative men to find equally conservative wives.

Still, the General Social Survey consistently demonstrates that conservatives have been more successful at attaining marriage compared to their more liberal peers for decades.

What is more, it has long been demonstrated that Americans who identify as politically liberal tend to have markedly lower levels of overall happiness and mental well-being compared to their conservative neighbors. Scholars wonder if this is because the two groups’ have differing views on important life choices. A 2025 study notes that “conservatives also score higher on personality and attitude measures, such as religiosity, marital status, and patriotism, which are associated with better mental health.”

There are compelling reasons to make this connection. New research coming out of the University of Chicago carefully documents that “there is a wide gap of around 30 points between married and unmarried respondents.” This is true across a variety of socio-economic and demographically diverse populations. The scholar conducting this research, Sam Peltzman, explains it is not just regular companionship because cohabitors “are also distinctly less happy than married couples.” There is something about the security and intimacy of marriage that drives this “marriage premium” as Peltzman terms it. This data was so strong, it compelled David Brooks of The New York Times to announce to the world that “to be happy, marriage matters more than career.” And Texas A&M research explains, “current studies suggest that children may not only serve as a source of happiness, but happiness itself is linked to future reproduction.”

Marriage and parenthood are life choices leading to demonstrable improvements in lasting happiness and well-being by substantial margins. Happier citizens make for a better nation. For many reasons, it is clear that conservatives are more inclined to do important things that lead to greater happiness. Liberals tend eschew these things.

Ideas have consequences and conservative ideas are shown to have essential consequences, resulting in more marriage, more children, and greater happiness and well-being.