How much can an election in a foreign country affect the wellbeing of people elsewhere – at least when that country is the US? A study from SSE’s Center for Wellbeing, Welfare, and Happiness (CWWH) reveals that the U.S. presidential election had a notable emotional impact across nine European nations. These shifts weren’t limited to political pundits – everyday citizens felt their happiness, life satisfaction, and optimism rise or fall based on their preferred candidate's outcome. 

“The ripple effects of U.S. elections are fascinating,” says Professor Micael Dahlen, Professor of Wellbeing, Welfare, and Happiness at SSE. “It’s remarkable to see how emotionally connected people across the Atlantic are to American politics—even though they have no direct say in the outcome.”

The study, conducted in collaboration with Norstat, involved more than 18,000 participants from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland. Survey responses collected the week before and after the election from nationally representative samples in each country revealed that Europeans who supported Donald Trump experienced increased happiness, life satisfaction, and optimism following the results. Conversely, those who hoped for Kamala Harris to win reported a decline in these measures.

Interestingly, the results held regardless of participants’ beliefs about how the election would impact their own countries or lives. This suggests that the emotional ties stem from broader affiliations or symbolic connections to the candidates’ values and political visions.

Happiness shapes our views on democracy

The study also uncovered a link between happiness and satisfaction with democracy in one’s own country. For Europeans who favoured Trump, satisfaction with their national democracy increased after the election. Those who hoped for a Harris victory showed no change in their perception of democracy.

“Happiness doesn’t just make us feel good—it shapes our trust in institutions and our behaviours as citizens,” says Dahlen. 

The study found that happier individuals were more likely to report higher civic engagement, such as following laws, paying taxes, and avoiding corruption. These findings underline the complex interplay between emotions, politics, and civic behaviour. They also highlight the profound, if indirect, influence of global political events on individual wellbeing.

In the US, the happiness of Republican voters went up, while the wellbeing of Democratic voters took a dip.

“If we compare the results to the World Happiness rankings, this is as if Trump supporters jumped from number 23 in the rankings to number 2. And people on the losing side slipped all the way down to number 123,” says Micael Dahlen. 

For more information, please contact:

Micael Dahlen
Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness
Email: micael.dahlen@hhs.se

Press contact

Ylva Mossing
Content and Media Relations Manager
Email: ylva.mossing@hhs.se
Phone: +46 730 97 26 16

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