Could political outlook be genetically influenced?

[Јas]

I was reading an interesting article in last week's Economist, 'Patience, fairness and the human condition', which discusses the results of 3 recent investigations into the nature of patience and fairness - specifically that they may be determined genetically and that this results in different individuals having different levels of patience and different perspectives on what is (or isn't) fair. It's a fascinating piece.

It strikes me in particular that if correct, the fact that one's sense of fairness is genetically determined, this could substantially contribute to one's views on what are fair political orders (free markets vs. regulated markets vs. command markets; etc., etc.).

Do you think that people could be genetically predisposed to a particular political ideology?

[angus]

yes.  if you are the child of kings and queens, then you are likely not to support the revolution that results in your beheading.  if you are the child of the man who toils in a hot blacksmith's shop in order to produce quality iron guillotines, then you are likely to support the revolution.  Clearly genetic.

Now, that's good science.  Sort of like "intelligent design" is good science.  n'est-ce pas?

[Speed of Sound]

Ehhh....Im not so sure I believe that. If that were true, we would have 4 centrist-libertarians, not a socialist, populist, centrist, and centre-leftist.

[John Dibble]

Genetically influenced? Most likely yes. Genetically predetermined? Absolutely not.

In psychology there is always the debate of nature vs. nurture. Few legitimate psychologists today would believe that our biology or our upbringing completely controls our behaviors. In some instances certain behaviors lean towards one or the other, but overall I'd suppose it's about fifty fifty.

[Hatman 🍁]

Only way anyone would want to choose to be a Libertarian is if they were born that way

[John Dibble]

Only way anyone would want to choose to be a Libertarian is if they were born that way

You have no proof of that! On the other hand, we KNOW it's true about being Canadian.

But don't worry, I don't hold it against Gabu.

[Person Man]

Only way anyone would want to choose to be a Libertarian is if they were born that way

You have no proof of that! On the other hand, we KNOW it's true about being Canadian.

But don't worry, I don't hold it against Gabu.

What about bad gas?

and...there has to be some boiogical components because some people will have the same ideology no matter what.

...and why do repubicans tend to live in clusters? Genetic Drift? (This is half-serious)

[ilikeverin]

In psychology there is always the debate of nature vs. nurture. Few legitimate psychologists today would believe that our biology or our upbringing completely controls our behaviors. In some instances certain behaviors lean towards one or the other, but overall I'd suppose it's about fifty fifty.

In my psychology class, I learned it's about 70-30 genetic based-environmental, with much of the environmental influence coming from our peers and almost zilch from our parents (minus, of course, the fact that they decide where we live, which affects what peers we are involved with ).

[John Dibble]

In psychology there is always the debate of nature vs. nurture. Few legitimate psychologists today would believe that our biology or our upbringing completely controls our behaviors. In some instances certain behaviors lean towards one or the other, but overall I'd suppose it's about fifty fifty.

In my psychology class, I learned it's about 70-30 genetic based-environmental, with much of the environmental influence coming from our peers and almost zilch from our parents (minus, of course, the fact that they decide where we live, which affects what peers we are involved with ).

Don't know where the 70-30 figure came from - I think I've heard that for certain traits (Type A personality IIRC) but not an overall estimate. Also, I haven't heard anything about almost zilch coming from parents. That might have just been your professors beliefs. The classes I took just said that opinions vary on the subject among academics.

[ilikeverin]

In psychology there is always the debate of nature vs. nurture. Few legitimate psychologists today would believe that our biology or our upbringing completely controls our behaviors. In some instances certain behaviors lean towards one or the other, but overall I'd suppose it's about fifty fifty.

In my psychology class, I learned it's about 70-30 genetic based-environmental, with much of the environmental influence coming from our peers and almost zilch from our parents (minus, of course, the fact that they decide where we live, which affects what peers we are involved with ).

Don't know where the 70-30 figure came from - I think I've heard that for certain traits (Type A personality IIRC) but not an overall estimate. Also, I haven't heard anything about almost zilch coming from parents. That might have just been your professors beliefs. The classes I took just said that opinions vary on the subject among academics.

I was more talking about personality (extroversion, openness to change, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness) than some cultural traits.  That figure came from my textbook, by the way

Nature vs. nurture is pretty much what defines the difference between a sociologist and psychologist now, by the way... I just haven't had a sociology class yet.  So, though it is different across disciplines, psychology has been trending more and more "physiological" these days.

[Person Man]

You make it sound like it really comes to evolutionary survival tactics. I actually watched a documentary about that.

[Hash]

Could be when I think about it.

[J. J.]

I think it might.  The question is, how does genetics interplay with environmental factors?

[Hotblack Desiato]

Personality influences politics and personality is determined partially by genetics and environmental factors so yes it is genetically influenced. Also politics are influenced partially by either teenage rebellion away from their parent's beliefs(like the kid of two liberals going libertarian or a conservative fundamentalist's kid going hard-core atheist liberal) or if they have a calmer teen period of staying closer to their parents(and thus staying closer ideologically). I think people confuse this second part with genetic influences.

[StateBoiler]

No.

Politics are completely influenced by social environment, mentors (i.e. parents), and peers.

If Josef Stalin was orphaned, and then brought to the U.S. and adopted by an American family in his formative years, he would not have taken the ideology of an authoritarian communist.

[Person Man]

No.

Politics are completely influenced by social environment, mentors (i.e. parents), and peers.

If Josef Stalin was orphaned, and then brought to the U.S. and adopted by an American family in his formative years, he would not have taken the ideology of an authoritarian communist.

He could have been some other authoritarian wierdo then...

and how do people sort of pull partisan "gut feelings" out of their ass like complain about paying for someone else, but insist that we should spend more money on what they want.