The Relationship Between Democracy and Subjective Well-Being as a Function of Anti-Democratic Attitudes: a Multilevel Analysis of 78 Countries Worldwide

Past research has shown a non-significant association between the level of democracy and subjective well-being. This study attempts to address this inconsistency by examining the potential moderating role of anti-democratic attitudes. Drawing on a discrepancy theory framework, it was hypothesized that anti-democratic attitudes would moderate the association between the level of democracy and subjective well-being. To measure subjective well-being (i.e., satisfaction with life and happiness) and anti-democratic attitudes, data from the 7th wave of the World Value Survey as well as from the European Values Study 2017 were used. The level of democracy was assessed using the V-Dem’s Electoral Democracy Index 2020. Data on 131,846 participants from 78 countries around the world were available for this study. Findings from multilevel mixed-effects linear regressions revealed that the relationship between the level of democracy and subjective well-being was positive and stronger at lower levels of anti-democratic attitudes compared to higher levels of anti-democratic attitudes. Subjective well-being is a function of the interaction between the level of democracy and negative attitudes toward democracy.