Political Views May Be Genetically Influenced, Twin Study Shows

Science Daily ^ | 6 February 2008 | Staff

[shrinkermd]

Alford, who has researched this topic for a number of years, and his team analyzed data from political opinions of more than 12,000 twins in the United States and supplemented it with findings from twins in Australia. Alford found that identical twins were more likely to agree on political issues than were fraternal twins.

On the issue of property taxes, for example, an astounding four-fifths of identical twins shared the same opinion, while only two-thirds of fraternal twins agreed.

"What we found was that it probably is going to take more than a persuasive television ad to change someone's mind on a certain political position or attitude," said Alford. "Individual genes for behaviors do not exist and no one denies that humans have the capacity to act against genetic predispositions. But predictably dissimilar correlations of social and political attitudes among people with greater and lesser shared genotypes suggest that behaviors are often shaped by forces of which the person themselves are not consciously aware."

[shrinkermd]

Sample selection and circular reasoning abound in such studies; however, this one is very modest and circumspect in its conclusions.

Pindar, "Become the person you were destined to be," seems to function in a situation such as this.

[Always Right]

On the issue of property taxes, for example, an astounding four-fifths of identical twins shared the same opinion, while only two-thirds of fraternal twins agreed

So assuming that either position was just as likely, being raised in identical situations seemed like it had a 16% influence and the identical genetics added another 14%.

[TheZMan]

Like a lot of the futuristic movies over the last several years, wherein the future populace is divided based on genetic line, etc. Maybe that’ll end up happening here in the near future with a new border cutting the country in half.

This needs more research :)

[Steamburg]

If this is true and being a democrat is a genetic affliction; then is this study an argument for abortion?

[luckymom]

Study my twins and you’ll see this is right. ;o)

[Atlas Sneezed]

Political Views May Be Genetically Influenced...

---

Since intelligence is, why not?

[Garden Island]

I’ve found over the years that half of us have glasses that are half full, and the others, who see themselves as victims,see their glasses as half empty.

This ties in with political views.

[BIV]

I think Winston Churchill, and no doubt many before him, determined it was genetic. Heart at 20 years, brains at 40. Translation: When you’re young and want stuff, you’ll take it even if you can only get it at the point of a government. When you’re older, you want to keep the stuff you got from your labor or otherwise from the youngsters and you besheech the government for protection. It’s all genetics; it has been going like wow like forever.

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[tbw2]

There’s no mention here of how they distinguished genetic from social upbringing.
1. Fraternal twins can have opposite genders; males are more likely to be conservative. Thus fraternal twins are more likely to diverge on basis of gender as genetics.
2. Did they interview twins raised apart? If their environment was different but genes are the same, THEN you have a strong genetic component to politics.

[A_perfect_lady]

Well, it may be true to a certain extent. I’ve noticed that whiny, nervous hypochondriacs are usually Democrats.

[freespirited]

There’s no mention here of how they distinguished genetic from social upbringing.

If twins are raised in the same home, IMO it's reasonable to view their upbringing as the same. So genetic difference is represented by the fraternal twins.

Presumably they only included same-sex fraternal twins. Couldn't agree more that including mixed sex pairs would make a mess of things.

They don't say anything about twins raised apart but I am almost certain I have seen studies that have found significant degree of similar political viewpoints in such pairs.

[MississippiMan]

I gotta tell you that after talking with certain liberals, I have come away thinking they had to be hard-wired differently from me.

MM (in TX)

[OrioleFan]

On the issue of property taxes, for example, an astounding four-fifths of identical twins shared the same opinion, while only two-thirds of fraternal twins agreed.

My fraternal twin is a died in the wool Liberal. Since he retired from teaching he has had to get a job at Wal-Mart supplement his retirement check and to get ... health insurance. The irony of this makes me laugh to think about it - a liberal having to take a job at Wal-Mart to get health care.