Findings
Does how you live predict what you think?
Every respondent answers two batteries: what is true of their life, and what they believe. Holding both for the same person lets us ask the question this site was built for — and to ask whether the answer is the same everywhere.
Cross-tabulations are exploratory. 60 comparisons were run, so a false-discovery-rate correction is applied across the whole family — the q column, not the raw p, is what should convince you. Effect size is shown next to every result because with enough respondents everything becomes "significant".
Lived condition against political position
Can you travel to work or market without great difficulty?
against Social
(Traditional ↔ Progressive)
| Answer | Mean position | n |
|---|---|---|
| Always | 39.0 | 376 |
| Usually | 15.0 | 1070 |
| Sometimes | -21.5 | 788 |
| Never | -53.7 | 594 |
Always vs Never:
a gap of 92.7 points
(95% CI 87.8 to 97.6),
effect large,
q = 0.0 —
holds up after correction.
Are you treated with respect by people in authority?
against Social
(Traditional ↔ Progressive)
| Answer | Mean position | n |
|---|---|---|
| Always | 43.0 | 534 |
| Usually | 9.5 | 902 |
| Sometimes | -27.9 | 933 |
| Never | -49.8 | 514 |
Always vs Never:
a gap of 92.8 points
(95% CI 88.3 to 97.3),
effect large,
q = 0.0 —
holds up after correction.
Is the water where you live safe to drink?
against Social
(Traditional ↔ Progressive)
| Answer | Mean position | n |
|---|---|---|
| Always | 39.6 | 497 |
| Usually | 10.1 | 972 |
| Sometimes | -27.1 | 869 |
| Never | -48.7 | 541 |
Always vs Never:
a gap of 88.3 points
(95% CI 83.7 to 92.9),
effect large,
q = 0.0 —
holds up after correction.
Can you say what you think in public without fear?
against Social
(Traditional ↔ Progressive)
| Answer | Mean position | n |
|---|---|---|
| Always | 34.8 | 453 |
| Usually | 11.4 | 986 |
| Sometimes | -21.8 | 893 |
| Never | -54.2 | 543 |
Always vs Never:
a gap of 89.0 points
(95% CI 84.0 to 94.0),
effect large,
q = 0.0 —
holds up after correction.
Can you get online when you need to?
against Social
(Traditional ↔ Progressive)
| Answer | Mean position | n |
|---|---|---|
| Always | 36.6 | 487 |
| Usually | 10.9 | 973 |
| Sometimes | -20.9 | 889 |
| Never | -52.8 | 539 |
Always vs Never:
a gap of 89.4 points
(95% CI 84.6 to 94.2),
effect large,
q = 0.0 —
holds up after correction.
Do the people in charge listen to someone like you?
against Social
(Traditional ↔ Progressive)
| Answer | Mean position | n |
|---|---|---|
| Always | 33.2 | 483 |
| Usually | 10.6 | 936 |
| Sometimes | -20.7 | 905 |
| Never | -53.8 | 527 |
Always vs Never:
a gap of 87.0 points
(95% CI 82.1 to 91.9),
effect large,
q = 0.0 —
holds up after correction.
At the end of the month, is there money left over?
against Social
(Traditional ↔ Progressive)
| Answer | Mean position | n |
|---|---|---|
| Always | 37.3 | 462 |
| Usually | 11.9 | 929 |
| Sometimes | -24.9 | 955 |
| Never | -50.0 | 483 |
Always vs Never:
a gap of 87.3 points
(95% CI 82.3 to 92.3),
effect large,
q = 0.0 —
holds up after correction.
Is your home dry, warm enough and in good repair?
against Social
(Traditional ↔ Progressive)
| Answer | Mean position | n |
|---|---|---|
| Always | 35.9 | 457 |
| Usually | 12.7 | 942 |
| Sometimes | -23.2 | 979 |
| Never | -50.6 | 480 |
Always vs Never:
a gap of 86.5 points
(95% CI 81.3 to 91.7),
effect large,
q = 0.0 —
holds up after correction.
Do you have electricity when you need it?
against Social
(Traditional ↔ Progressive)
| Answer | Mean position | n |
|---|---|---|
| Always | 36.0 | 481 |
| Usually | 11.6 | 899 |
| Sometimes | -24.2 | 993 |
| Never | -51.1 | 472 |
Always vs Never:
a gap of 87.1 points
(95% CI 82.0 to 92.2),
effect large,
q = 0.0 —
holds up after correction.
Can the children you know get a decent education?
against Social
(Traditional ↔ Progressive)
| Answer | Mean position | n |
|---|---|---|
| Always | 35.2 | 506 |
| Usually | 10.5 | 1031 |
| Sometimes | -29.6 | 914 |
| Never | -50.8 | 414 |
Always vs Never:
a gap of 86.0 points
(95% CI 80.9 to 91.1),
effect large,
q = 0.0 —
holds up after correction.
Can you see a doctor when you need one?
against Social
(Traditional ↔ Progressive)
| Answer | Mean position | n |
|---|---|---|
| Always | 37.3 | 526 |
| Usually | 15.2 | 793 |
| Sometimes | -20.1 | 783 |
| Never | -46.9 | 754 |
Always vs Never:
a gap of 84.2 points
(95% CI 79.6 to 88.8),
effect large,
q = 0.0 —
holds up after correction.
Compared with five years ago, is your life better or worse?
against Social
(Traditional ↔ Progressive)
| Answer | Mean position | n |
|---|---|---|
| Better | 35.0 | 717 |
| About the same | -7.0 | 1412 |
| Worse | -49.2 | 724 |
Better vs Worse:
a gap of 84.2 points
(95% CI 80.0 to 88.4),
effect large,
q = 0.0 —
holds up after correction.
Politics by kind of work
| Work | Share | n |
|---|---|---|
| Studying | 6.5% | 186 |
| Professional or technical work | 6.5% | 186 |
| Unknown | 6.4% | 183 |
| Selling or trading | 6.4% | 182 |
| Farming, fishing or herding | 6.4% | 182 |
| Unpaid work at home | 6.4% | 181 |
| Service work | 6.4% | 181 |
| Factory or production work | 6.3% | 180 |
| Day work or casual work | 6.2% | 175 |
| Manual or building work | 6.2% | 175 |
| Government or public service | 6.1% | 174 |
| Care or health work | 6.1% | 174 |
| Running a business | 6.1% | 172 |
| Office or administrative work | 6.1% | 172 |
| Teaching or training | 6.0% | 170 |
| Not working now | 5.9% | 169 |
Economic by work
| Work | Mean | n |
|---|---|---|
| Selling or trading | 18.4 | 182 |
| Unpaid work at home | 18.4 | 181 |
| Government or public service | 18.5 | 174 |
| Factory or production work | 18.8 | 180 |
| Teaching or training | 18.9 | 170 |
| Office or administrative work | 19.4 | 172 |
| Manual or building work | 20.8 | 175 |
| Studying | 20.9 | 186 |
| Running a business | 21.1 | 172 |
| Day work or casual work | 21.1 | 175 |
| Professional or technical work | 21.4 | 186 |
| Service work | 21.5 | 181 |
| Care or health work | 21.9 | 174 |
| Unknown | 22.5 | 183 |
| Farming, fishing or herding | 25.7 | 182 |
| Not working now | 26.0 | 169 |
Widest gap: Not working now to Selling or trading, 7.6 points, effect small.
Social by work
| Work | Mean | n |
|---|---|---|
| Office or administrative work | -13.5 | 172 |
| Professional or technical work | -12.2 | 186 |
| Service work | -11.0 | 181 |
| Not working now | -10.3 | 169 |
| Studying | -9.8 | 186 |
| Care or health work | -9.1 | 174 |
| Unpaid work at home | -9.1 | 181 |
| Selling or trading | -8.9 | 182 |
| Farming, fishing or herding | -8.4 | 182 |
| Teaching or training | -6.8 | 170 |
| Factory or production work | -5.2 | 180 |
| Day work or casual work | -5.0 | 175 |
| Running a business | -4.2 | 172 |
| Manual or building work | -3.7 | 175 |
| Unknown | -1.7 | 183 |
| Government or public service | 1.7 | 174 |
Widest gap: Government or public service to Office or administrative work, 15.2 points, effect small.
Sovereignty by work
| Work | Mean | n |
|---|---|---|
| Not working now | -18.9 | 169 |
| Teaching or training | -17.9 | 170 |
| Professional or technical work | -17.6 | 186 |
| Manual or building work | -17.5 | 175 |
| Care or health work | -17.4 | 174 |
| Office or administrative work | -17.4 | 172 |
| Service work | -17.3 | 181 |
| Running a business | -16.1 | 172 |
| Day work or casual work | -15.5 | 175 |
| Selling or trading | -15.1 | 182 |
| Farming, fishing or herding | -14.3 | 182 |
| Unpaid work at home | -13.9 | 181 |
| Unknown | -13.4 | 183 |
| Studying | -13.3 | 186 |
| Factory or production work | -13.2 | 180 |
| Government or public service | -11.8 | 174 |
Widest gap: Government or public service to Not working now, 7.1 points, effect negligible.
Force by work
| Work | Mean | n |
|---|---|---|
| Not working now | -13.5 | 169 |
| Unknown | -13.0 | 183 |
| Farming, fishing or herding | -12.5 | 182 |
| Factory or production work | -12.4 | 180 |
| Service work | -10.5 | 181 |
| Running a business | -10.5 | 172 |
| Unpaid work at home | -10.4 | 181 |
| Selling or trading | -10.1 | 182 |
| Day work or casual work | -9.5 | 175 |
| Teaching or training | -8.8 | 170 |
| Professional or technical work | -8.8 | 186 |
| Studying | -8.6 | 186 |
| Care or health work | -7.6 | 174 |
| Office or administrative work | -6.7 | 172 |
| Government or public service | -6.7 | 174 |
| Manual or building work | -5.9 | 175 |
Widest gap: Manual or building work to Not working now, 7.6 points, effect negligible.
How you live, by what you do
| Work | Median Life Index | n |
|---|---|---|
| Government or public service | 59.5 | 174 |
| Teaching or training | 52.8 | 169 |
| Running a business | 50.0 | 170 |
| Studying | 50.0 | 184 |
| Farming, fishing or herding | 48.9 | 178 |
| Factory or production work | 48.9 | 178 |
| Day work or casual work | 48.9 | 175 |
| Service work | 48.9 | 181 |
| Selling or trading | 48.7 | 180 |
| Manual or building work | 47.6 | 173 |
| Care or health work | 46.7 | 174 |
| Unpaid work at home | 45.2 | 179 |
| Unknown | 45.2 | 183 |
| Professional or technical work | 42.9 | 185 |
| Office or administrative work | 41.7 | 171 |
| Not working now | 41.0 | 168 |
Why this is the interesting half
Plenty of surveys measure opinion. Plenty measure living conditions. Very few hold both for the same person across many countries at once, which is what makes the following answerable:
- Does insecurity push people toward the state, or away from it?
- Is that push the same in a rich country and a poor one — or opposite?
- Does the kind of work someone does predict their politics better than the nation they live in?
We do not know the answers. That is the point of collecting the data rather than assuming them.