Barely three months into his second term, Donald Trump has already sparked more global turmoil than ever.

The World Happiness Report 2025, released by the University of Oxford’s Well-being Research Centre on March 8, 2025, dedicates Chapter 7 to an incisive examination of changes in voting patterns in the US and Europe.

The 28-page chapter has been condensed and presented for clarity and better understanding. To address the question at hand, we will focus on America. The chapter provides insights into the factors contributing to the rise of populist leaders like Donald Trump in the United States.

1. The Fall in the Life satisfaction score. For the longitudinal study conducted since 2006, Life satisfaction is measured by asking the question, “Are you satisfied with your life in general?” Responses are from 0 (very dissatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied).

These scores from 2006 – 2023 show a declining trend for the US and reached its lowest, 6.5, this year. This resulted in the U.S. dropping to its lowest-ever position in ranking, 24th in the global happiness index 2025. [We can note that the GDP per capita doubled from $40,000 to $80,000 during this period, establishing that wealth/income and happiness may be inversely correlated.]

2. A decrease in trust among individuals

Interpersonal trust is the trust that people have in other people. To measure interpersonal trust, the survey used the question, “In general, would you say that most people can be trusted or that one can never be too careful when dealing with others?”

A significant decline in trust among Americans during this period is evident from the above figure.

The decrease in happiness and social trust in the US accounts for a significant portion of the increase in political polarization and anti-establishment votes.

Subjective attitudes, such as life satisfaction and trust, have a much greater impact on shaping values and voting behavior than traditional ideologies or class struggle. Unhappy people tend to gravitate toward the extremes of the political spectrum. Moreover, a more detailed analysis of the data concludes that individuals with low levels of trust are more often aligned with the far right, whereas those with high levels of trust tend to support the far left.

The key insight is that citizens who report the lowest levels of life satisfaction tend to hold anti-system political attitudes. Individuals who are dissatisfied with their lives may feel that the system has failed them, believing that democratic institutions and legal frameworks have not adequately protected them from life’s risks.

In summary, the World Happiness Report 2025 suggests that the election of leaders like Trump is less about specific policy preferences and more about a broader societal discontent, where declining well-being and trust drive voters toward candidates who promise radical change.

We should acknowledge that the face of a person of Indian origin in the poster from WHR 2025 may serve as a warning for us Indians. We are moving away from traditional ideologies and class struggles that have historically influenced our voting behavior.