Is it possible that Americans might be poorer but happier in times of recession than in times of plenty?

The National Opinion Research Council at the University of Chicago tries to quantify how happy Americans are with a yearly poll. Since 1950, the number of Americans responding that they were "very happy" has steadily declined. Between 1970 and 1994 it dropped 5 full points, indicating that less than one-third of Americans were "very happy." In 2006, our happiness ...

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