Party politics: nature or nurture?
Do genes influence voting patterns?
The arrival of a presidential-style debate in the UK, with all three of the main party leaders agreeing to a series of televised head-to-heads, has given some fresh impetus to the political arena after a disastrous year. The expenses scandal, the recession and party political point-scoring have seen the collective reputation of politicians fall ever lower in 2009, but it is hoped that a chance to discuss policy and present clear and distinctive choices will re-engage voters.
However, whether or not the debates prove as enthralling as pundits and politicians are hoping, they could be irrelevant if new research is to be believed. In their paper, "Is There a 'Party' in your Genes?", Peter Hatemi, John Alford, John Hibbing, Nicholas Martin and Lindon Eaves suggest genetics play a crucial role in determining how people affiliate with political parties. Published in Political Research Quarterly, the official journal of the Western Political Science Association, the thought-provoking findings claim partisan identification can be transmitted genetically, rather than socially.
Stressing that there is no "Republican or Democrat gene", or particular genes which prescribe opinions, the researchers do conclude from the quantitative data they survey that there is at least a "partially genetic" theory for party affiliation, particularly the intensity of a given association.
"Results from twin, family, and genotypic data at least present an inconvenient truth for a purely social theory," they write. "We can choose to ignore the findings, or can explain it away by ad hoc appeals, but in doing so, we might close off a whole area of quite revolutionary understanding."
With a general election set to take place in 2010, MPs will soon be able to find out first-hand whether their policies are appealing - genetically, socially or otherwise.
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