Politics, Wedding Costs are Keys to a Happy Marriage, Studies Say

August 18, 2015
By Alex Keown, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff

There is no one key to having a happy marriage, but there might be several key elements to living happily ever after with your spouse, according to several studies. None of these elements require the use of powerful narcotics, either.

Instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars, two professors at Emory University found that having a cheap wedding and not breaking the bank on an engagement ring can lead to a happier marriage and a decline in the divorce rates, according to a CNN report. The study of 3,151 adults who are or were married, found women spent more than $20,000 on their wedding divorced at a rate roughly 1.6 times higher than women whose wedding cost between $5,000 and $10,000, CNN said. Additionally, couples who spent $1,000 or less on their wedding had a lower than average rate of divorce. The average wedding, according to CNN, cost just under $30,000.

Another happiness-in-matrimony factor is your political affiliation. Researchers have long-held the notion that those who tend to lean left politically were happier in their lives, but a new University of Virginia study says those who identify as Republicans have happier marriages than those who identify as Democrats. According to the study conducted by UVA’s National Marriage Project and the Institute for Family Studies, 67 percent of married Republicans reported they were happy in their marriages compared to 60 percent of married Democrats and Independents. The study examined adults aged 20 to 60 in the 2010-2014 General Social Survey. The researchers said data suggests “an elective affinity—based on region, religion, culture, and economics—has emerged in the American electorate: married people are more likely to identify as Republican and unmarried people are more likely to identify as Democratic.” Possible reasons for the happiness include racial and religious factors. Caucasians of faith who regularly attend church services tended to report higher levels of happiness than minority couples who do not regularly attend a worship service, the study said.

The Pew Research Center has also conducted studies that link political philosophies with happiness levels. According to that study, conservative Republicans were 68 percent more likely than liberal Democrats to say they were “very happy” about their lives.

Other studies have shown that those on the political extremes are also more content than those who are politically moderate. One explanation by the New York Times is that those on the poles are confident in their beliefs and see things in black and white, with no shades of gray.