Political Attitudes and Genetics

Can genetics help explain the dramatic increase in political-based polarization in USA? How could we test if genes play a role in polarization?

Polarization 

in 1994, immense amount of overlap in politcal calues, in 2017 there is BARLEy any overlap 

Issues that divided democrats and republicans

immigration, climate change, homosexulatiy, male/female roles, racism, affirimative action

descriptions of polarizaton

philopsophical differences regarding the role of the goverment and the role of individual initative and responsibility and degree of trust in goverment officals

explanations of polarization 

internet, geographical separation, income inequality 

Why do we have philophical differences?

Issues that divided deomcrats and republicans all involve novelty

do the content of the disagreements reflect a biological difference?

variation in the response to new social/enviormental conditions may reflect HPA axis differences and temperament

Startle response twin experiment  

loud unpredicatble npise thats startling. Used GSR desvice to detect changes in flight/fight reflect (GSR run weak current across hand and detects electrolytes in sweat). had differences in genes

correlation between political attitueds and response to stressors

46 subjects divided into two opposing groups: those strongly in favor of foreign military affairs and those against it, watched sereis of slides, 1 of 10 showed alarming scene. there were different in response to threat

Husband wife political attitued

agree on political attitudes more than any other social, beahvioral, or physical trait

How do we get from DNA to increasing political polarization?

Many political issues involve attitues toward treath, change, novelty and response to threat/novelty has a genetic basis