The Emotional Climate of American Life
Deviation Index · United States · 1900–2025
Values represent deviation from the long-run historical baseline (0). Positive scores indicate conditions better than average; negative scores indicate worse than average. Derived from newspaper sentiment analysis, economic indicators, Gallup archival data, and sociological literature.
1918–20
Spanish Flu Nadir
Both indices crater near −90 — the worst combined collapse on record.
1926–28
Roaring Twenties
Optimism peaks at +76 before the crash erases nearly all of it.
1943–45
WWII Divergence
Stress improves while optimism leaps to +65 — a rare split signal.
2020
COVID Collapse
Stress −88, optimism −82. Second worst event in 125 years.