07-30-2016, 04:06 PM
Quote:Strongly partisan voting patterns mean that we can expect another relatively close election in 2016 with the same set of swing states as in 2012 ultimately deciding the outcome. But they also mean that, given a normal presidential election turnout pattern, the Democratic nominee should have a slight edge simply because voters who identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party will probably outnumber voters who identify with or lean toward the Republican Party. According to a recent study by the highly respected Pew Research Center based on more than 25,000 interviews with eligible voters, during 2014 Democrats and independents leaning toward the Democratic Party outnumbered Republicans and independents leaning toward the Republican Party by a margin of 48% to 39%. While the Democratic margin is likely to be somewhat smaller among actual voters than among eligible voters, it should still be large enough to give the Democratic candidate an advantage. Moreover, the Democratic margin in leaned party identification could be pushed up a bit by the expected increase in the nonwhite share of the electorate between 2014 and 2016.Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball » The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is the Other Party
One might wonder why these countries consistently score high on happiness scales. One reason seems to low poverty and relatively low inequality.
Quote:After Denmark, the next happiest nations last year were Switzerland, Iceland and Norway, followed by Finland, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden. The United States was 13th place, two spots higher than the previous year.Danes, once again, take top spot in world happiness report - The Washington Post
Quote:The world would be a happier place if we were more equal, according to this year's World Happiness Report Update. For the first time since its publication in 2012, the World Happiness Report has focused on the measurement and consequences of inequality in the distribution of well-being among countries and regions.Happiness gap is widening ‘significantly’: Global report