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Could your political beliefs predict your chances of divorce?

Though the more cynical among us may believe otherwise, nothing can predict whether a marriage will last “’til death do us part” or end in divorce someday. Of course, it is natural to be curious about whether certain couples are less likely to stay together than others, because of their backgrounds, jobs, or other reasons.

A new report co-authored by a University of Virginia sociologist suggests that political affiliation just might be a divorce predictor. The study says that Republicans were happier in their marriages and less likely to have been divorced than Democrats.

The professor and a colleague at the University of Utah analyzed data from the General Social Survey from 2010 to 2014 from adults between 20 and 60 years old. After filtering the data based on political affiliation, the sociologists found that 57 percent of Republicans were married, compared with 40 percent of Democrats.

Most married people said they were happy, but two-thirds of married Republicans reported being happy in their relationship, while just 60 percent of Democrats were similarly satisfied. Meanwhile, 47 percent of Democrats reported having been divorced, compared with 41 percent of Republicans, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Why would belonging to one political party or another affect your relationship with your husband or wife? The authors say there is no proof that being a Democrat makes you more likely to divorce. Instead, it could be that each party’s typical demographics are a factor. For instance, the authors said that Republicans are less likely to be affected by discrimination, segregation and poverty than Democrats.

No matter your political beliefs, if you are ever getting divorced, you will need an experienced attorney to protect your rights and reach a fair settlement.

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