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DNA May Decide the 2008 U.S. Election
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Research suggests that genes determine political opinions, one of a number of insights into the biological laws that govern political animals.
30-Second Summary
A new line of research suggests that, in politics, anatomy is destiny.
Scientist David Sloan Wilson studied liberal and conservative teenagers and found that their ideological differences were not moral choices, but adaptations enabling them to survive in their “cultural environment” just as other species have evolved biological survival traits, he writes in The Huffington Post.
The study found that liberal opinions resulted from “survival in a stable environment in which there is leisure for learning and reflection,” while conservative views came from an “unstable environment where joint action, and thus obedience to their group, are at a premium,” reports The Economist.
Also applying behavioral science to politics, Slate writer Emily Yoffe analyzes 2008 presidential contenders using the Myers-Briggs personality test.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hillary Clinton’s personality type is “cautious and methodical,” Obama’s is “idealist,” and McCain’s is “practical, optimistic, cynical, and focused on the here and now.”
Another study measured swing voters’ brain responses to specific presidential candidates, finding that their views were a mixture of reason and biologically-based behavioral responses. For example, some study participants were “battling unacknowledged impulses to like” Hillary Clinton, reported The New York Times.
Rice University political scientist John Alford says political opinions are influenced by genetic makeup. Studying sets of twins, he found “a 41 percent contribution from inheritance” in their views on issues such as school prayer, The New York Times reported.
“Trying to persuade someone not to be liberal is like trying to persuade someone not to have brown eyes,” Alford says.
Scientist David Sloan Wilson studied liberal and conservative teenagers and found that their ideological differences were not moral choices, but adaptations enabling them to survive in their “cultural environment” just as other species have evolved biological survival traits, he writes in The Huffington Post.
The study found that liberal opinions resulted from “survival in a stable environment in which there is leisure for learning and reflection,” while conservative views came from an “unstable environment where joint action, and thus obedience to their group, are at a premium,” reports The Economist.
Also applying behavioral science to politics, Slate writer Emily Yoffe analyzes 2008 presidential contenders using the Myers-Briggs personality test.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hillary Clinton’s personality type is “cautious and methodical,” Obama’s is “idealist,” and McCain’s is “practical, optimistic, cynical, and focused on the here and now.”
Another study measured swing voters’ brain responses to specific presidential candidates, finding that their views were a mixture of reason and biologically-based behavioral responses. For example, some study participants were “battling unacknowledged impulses to like” Hillary Clinton, reported The New York Times.
Rice University political scientist John Alford says political opinions are influenced by genetic makeup. Studying sets of twins, he found “a 41 percent contribution from inheritance” in their views on issues such as school prayer, The New York Times reported.
“Trying to persuade someone not to be liberal is like trying to persuade someone not to have brown eyes,” Alford says.
Headline Links: The evolution of political instincts
‘Moral Thinking’
Researchers David Sloan Wilson and Ingrid Storm looked at the personality differences in liberal and conservative teenagers. They found that liberals tended to be loners, spending about a quarter of their time by themselves, while conservatives spent far less time alone.
Source: The Economist (subscription may be required)
‘Are Liberals and Conservatives Different Species?’
Ecologist David Sloan Wilson describes how he and colleague Ingrid Storm used biological and behavioral field study methods to track thousands of American teenagers. “These kids obviously belonged to the same biological species but their cultures transformed them into different creatures,” writes Wilson. “Who would have thought that my years studying beetles and fish would give me something to say about the human bestiary? It's a jungle out there.”
Source: The Hufington Post
‘Are Political Leanings all in the Genes?’
Researcher John Alford reports in New Scientist magazine that political affiliation may be strongly linked to genetics. The magazine's Web site offers an abstract of the article, but a paid subscription is required to read the entire article.
Source: New Scientist (paid subscription required)
Opinions & Analysis: Candidates and partisanship under the microscope
Emily Yoffe applies the Myers-Briggs personality test to the presidential candidates in a piece on Slate. She finds that Hillary Clinton is “steadfast, cautious and methodical. Obama, is considered an “idealist,” and John McCain is "practical, optimistic, cynical, and focused on the here and now"—the same personality type as George W. Bush.
Source: Slate
Howie Klein outlines the New Scientist article in on the Huffington Post. The new report suggests that views on many issues, “from religion in schools to nuclear power and gay rights,” could have a genetic component.
Source: The Huffington Post
Related Topics: Voters react to candidates’ personalities
‘This is your brain on politics’
In 2007, a group of scientists joined forces with The New York Times to report on how the brains of swing voters respond to each presidential candidate. Interestingly, the study suggested that Barack Obama and John McCain, now strong contenders, had “work to do” because participants failed to register powerful reactions to either candidate.
Source: The New York Times (subscription may be required)
Voters’ emotional responses to candidates
A Pew Research Center survey released last year examined words associated with the presidential candidates. Clinton, for instance, was most associated with the word “tough,” by study participants, and Obama was linked most closely to the word “optimistic.” Giuliani was the Republican candidate most associated with positive personality traits, like “energetic,” “compassionate” and “optimistic.”
Source: Pew Research Center
Background: Genes, politics and the Myers-Briggs test
Politics may be influenced by genes
In 2005, The New York Times covered another report, originally released in The American Political Science Review, on the link between genes and political affiliation.
Source: The New York Times (free subscription may be required)
Myers-Briggs personality test
The Myers and Briggs Foundation features information about the Myers-Briggs personality test, including where to take the test, information on each personality type and how to apply your results to everyday life.
Source: The Myer & Briggs Foundation
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