[GPSCC-chat] Political biology.

[Wes Rolley]

While walking my dog, Mr. Lucky, yesterday, I listened to episode 28 
(April 3, 2014) of the /Inquiring Minds/ podcast.  It was basically an 
interview of Univ. of Neb. - Lincoln professor John Hibbing conducted by 
Chris Mooney (Author of /The Republican War on Science/ and 
/Unscientific America/).  The title of the podcast was /The Biology of 
Ideology/.  The basic premise is that Conservatives and Liberals live in 
very different worlds... a difference that can be objectively 
measured.   The podcast is available for free from Itunes and most other 
podcast broadcasting sites.

If there are biological difference between conservatives and liberals we 
ought to know what they are.  To begin with, conservatives live in a 
more dangerous world.   They focus much more readily on negative things 
and their attention lingers longer when compared to conservatives.   
Hibbing dances around the implication that it is ALL genetic but 
suggests that there is a genetic component (based on twin studies and 
adoptive subjects) which will be very difficult to "tease out" if we 
ever do.

I can't do it all justice, but would suggest that after you listen to 
the podcast, there are two things that become apparent.  (1) Because you 
are living in different worlds, can hear different political debates 
together,  It may not be possible to use arguments that appear rational 
to you in trying to change the mind of a person of the other 
persuasion.  Perhaps this relates to the polarization of politics now.  
In this case, (2) maybe the best approach is to understand that 
compromise may be the only way to resolve some policy concerns.

Another concern for me is the fact that the factors which drive a 
conservative personality may also tend to make them more successful in 
business and therefore more able to provide the financing for political 
activism.  Move to Amend is the right approach to solving this problem 
as the SCOTUS chips away at current campaign finance constraints.


-- 
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't, 
then you are wasting your time on this Earth" - /Roberto Clemente/
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