Study Finds Wealthy Men With Extreme Political Views Have the Happiest Marriages

Bryan Michalek | October 4, 2017
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According to a new survey from the University of Maryland, researchers found that rich guys with extreme political views have the happiest marriages.

Headed by University of Maryland Professor Philip Cohen, the research found that wealthy, religious men who hold extreme political views on both sides of the ideological spectrum are most satisfied with their marriages. The results did show a slight lead on the conservative end, but not by a huge margin.

Using the General Social Survey, which has tracked Americans' views and behaviors for some time, Cohen collected information from several face-to-face interviews.

From the survey results, Cohen found that extremely liberal or conservative men find more marital satisfaction than those who are more moderate. Cohen couldn't definitively explain this phenomenon, but claimed, "It's possible that the people with more extreme political views are more likely to have a spouse who agrees with them."

In addition, people who said they regularly practiced their religious faith reported higher rates of marital happiness than those who did not.

Cohen also found that income also plays a key role in happy marriages. According to his survey, "upper-class" Americans had a 70 percent "very happy" rating, while "lower class" respondents came in at 53 percent. 

Cohen explained wealth might reduce stress and create happier marriages, as opposed to people who really worry about the bills. Spousal gifts and more vacations might also play a part.

The study also found that Caucasians reported higher rates of marital happiness than any other ethnicity by a high margin, and that men overall were much happier and satisfied by their marriages than women.

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