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 7 th 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.