If you’re a liberal Democrat and wondering why you’re drinking so much, maybe a scientific study has answers. Or at least maybe it’ll let you let go of the guilt as you apparently consume three times as much as your conservative counterparts.
According to the Journal of Wine Economics, published by Cambridge University Press, “alcohol consumption in American states rises as the population’s political persuasion becomes more liberal.” Information on the study was detailed in a release, which explained that “economists from Pittsburgh’s Duquesne University reveal that, as states become more liberal politically over time, their consumption of beer and spirits rises – while their consumption of wine tends to fall.”
The research alleges that Nevada, largely considered to be a liberal state, consumes three times more alcohol per head than conservative states like Arkansas and Utah.
(Except maybe Las Vegas being in Nevada helps explain why that state has such jacked up alcohol consumption stat).
The authors of the study, Pavel Yakovlev and Walter Guessford, offered their own explanations, suggesting that “people of a more liberal persuasion tend to be more open to new experiences, including the consumption of alcohol or drugs – or that they might feel more confident in government healthcare and social welfare to pick up the pieces of their socially irresponsible behavior.”
Another wacky idea: “The authors suggest that further research is needed to explore the relationship between political beliefs and other unhealthy behaviors in future.”
Read more on the study here.