The effect of presidential election outcomes on alcohol drinking

Abstract

The growing political polarization and the increasing use of social media have been linked to straining social ties worldwide. The 2016 presidential elections in the United States reflected this trend with reports of fear and anxiety among voters. We examine how election results can be linked to episodes of anxiety through the use of alcohol as self‐medication. We analyze a daily dataset of household purchases of alcohol in the weeks following presidential elections. We find that, within 30 days from Election Day, a 10 percentage point increase in support for the losing candidate increases alcohol expenditure by 1.1%. The effect is driven by counties with a higher share of supporters of the losing candidate and is robust to controlling more flexibly for omitted variables related to alcohol consumption. The increase in alcohol consumption is present in the 2016 elections and absent in the previous three presidential elections.

Winners and losers: Emotional shifts across elections are conveyed by a politician’s smile

“…The increase in anger and distress reported by Labour party supporters in response to Johnson’s reward smiles is consistent with findings from the psychological literature on losing [ 45 ]. Previous work has shown that the supporters of the election loser show a decrease in various measures of wellbeing and even a rise in mental health issues and unhealthy behaviours following the election loss [ 46 , 47 ]. Indeed, such an effect was revealed across 25 European countries and was also driven by a clear partisan affiliation [ 48 ].…”

Election-Related Post-Traumatic Stress: Evidence from the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election

“…This is deeply concerning, considering that the standard prevalence rate of PTSD in any given year is about 3.5% (Kessler, Chiu et al, 2005). While past studies have linked election outcomes to negative health outcomes like depression (Yan et al, 2021), anxiety (Nayak et al,, 2021), sleep issues (Nayak et al 2021), drinking (Musse & Schneider, 2023), smoking (Samson, 2015), and stress (Smith, 2022; Smith et al, 2019), this is the first study to the authors’ knowledge to find measurable levels of post-traumatic stress potentially linked to an election.…”

“…Since the 2016 election, scholars have linked growing divisions within American communities to changes in several health indicators. For example, politically isolated residents report more days of poor physical health (Fraser et al, 2022; Nayak et al, 2021; Panagopoulos et al, 2021) and poor mental health (Yan et al, 2021), including increased incidence of depression (Yan et al, 2021), anxiety (Hackett et al, 2018; Nayak et al, 2021), stress (APA, 2017), sleep issues (Nayak et al, 2021), and drinking (Musse & Schneider, 2023). A national survey conducted in 2017 revealed that 11.5% of Americans believed that politics had adversely affected their physical health, with 40% reporting higher stress due to politics, 20% reporting lost sleep, and 20% reporting lost friendships due to their political views (Smith et al, 2019).…”

“…These studies build on literature that has found differences in life satisfaction and happiness between Republicans and Democrats (Lench et al, 2019; Schlenker et al, 2012) and increases in election-related stress and anxiety (Majumder et al, 2017). The most recent studies link partisanship and partisan polarization with a range of health outcomes, including days of poor physical health (Fraser et al, 2022; Panagopoulos et al, 2021), days of poor mental health (Yan et al, 2021), depression (Nayak et al, 2021; Yan et al, 2021), anxiety (Hackett et al, 2018; Nayak et al, 2021), stress (American Psychological Association [APA], 2017), sleep issues (Nayak et al, 2021), and drinking (Musse & Schneider, 2023). To date, no study of which we are aware has examined whether elections are associated with post-traumatic stress.…”

County-level political group density, partisan polarization, and individual-level mortality among adults in the United States: A lagged multilevel study

“…Chronic exposure to stressful and isolating events can increase the risk of premature mortality through biological mechanisms such as elevated cortisol ( Stanton et al, 2010 ; Waismel-Manor et al, 2011 ), and behavioral mechanisms, such as increases in disordered tobacco, alcohol, and drug use ( Musse & Schneider, 2022 ). Long-term exposure to psychosocial stressors including feelings of anger and hostility, experiencing anxiety, social conflict, and feelings of non-specific stress are associated with increased cardiovascular disease burden ( Everson-Rose & Lewis, 2005 ).…”