Is political orientation genetic?

[aways]

After having argued politics over the past 25 years or so, it has become apparent to me that after age 25, or so, most people remain rigidly fixed in their political orientation, and no amount of data seem sufficient to cause them to re-think their political outlook. I suspect that there is a genetic predisposition to turn out liberal or conservative, and that it's pretty hard to fight that inate tendency. I'm not sure early environment/upbringing has as large a role, because if it did, I don't think people would be as resistant to change later in life when confronted with new data. Any opinions on my theory?

[RallyJon]

Then why do children so often have political views that are the exact opposite of their parents?

To your second point, "no amount of data" assumes that there is any such thing as "data" in this context. Political views are supported/challenged by the interpretation of events. And you interpret events based on your political views.

[skipdup]

It seems to me lots of people become more Conservative as they grow older. Especially interesting is the "spike" in conservative ideals which is experienced by many when they begin making their own money.

[Tim Hancock]

I think in general it boils down to personal responsibilty. A person who deep down feels that a human being is ultimately responsible for his or her own life, irregardless of race, social class, bad/good luck, whatever... usually leans right.

Those who deep down feel that some people are not capable of taking care of themselves and need assistance from those who can... usually lean left.

There are many other issues to take sides on , but I feel the above mentioned perspective is what draws the line in the sand.

[widebody911]

Why are the kids of so many conservatives gay? Is it the sexual repression of the religious right, or just the general Republican influence?

[IROC]

My views have changed over the years. They waver around quite a bit based on the particular subject. The more I learn and the more I experience in life, I modify my political leanings as I see fit, so I definitely do not fit your observations of being rigidly fixed after age 25.

Mike

[BlueSkyJaunte]

I was terrifyingly liberal (pro-entitlement, pro-welfare, pro-socialized medicine, etc.) until my sophomore year in college. Mostly as rebellion against my father.

For a few years after I leaned towards very conservative, but have since come to my senses and am now Libertarian.

My maternal grandparents, in their mid-80s, are a pair of commie pinkos. Have been since WW2. But what do you expect from New Yorkers?

[legion]

Originally posted by skipdup
It seems to me lots of people become more Conservative as they grow older. Especially interesting is the "spike" in conservative ideals which is experienced by many when they begin making their own money.

In other words, when you don't have money, you want everyone else to pitch in. When you do have money, you want to keep it.

When you have money and feel guilty about it, you want to pitch in and force everyone else to too.

[dhoward]

Originally posted by widebody911
Why are the kids of so many conservatives gay? Is it the sexual repression of the religious right, or just the general Republican influence?

[legion]

Originally posted by widebody911
Why are the kids of so many conservatives gay?

Rebelling against parents.

My best friends parents are classic academia-bred liberals. He's a hard-core conservative.

I would say a lot of conservative's children rebel because they see they get everything for free at the other end of the political spectrum. I did. I was jealous of some of my friends not having a curfew growing up (their parents didn't want to "constrain" their children). I was jealous of them being taken out for ice cream to celebrate their unique talents when they got an "F" in school (I got grounded). Now they are druggies without real jobs (still waiting tables at 28 or so) and still living with their parents. I've even had one tell me that he "deserved" a Porsche too.

[skipdup]

Originally posted by widebody911
Why are the kids of so many conservatives gay? Is it the sexual repression of the religious right, or just the general Republican influence?

No.

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by Tim Hancock
I think in general it boils down to personal responsibilty. A person who deep down feels that a human being is ultimately responsible for his or her own life, irregardless of race, social class, bad/good luck, whatever... usually leans right.

Those who deep down feel that some people are not capable of taking care of themselves and need assistance from those who can... usually lean left.

There are many other issues to take sides on , but I feel the above mentioned perspective is what draws the line in the sand.

Makes a lot of sense.

My Mother was an art professor, and liberal Democratic as they come. Father was 180 degrees from her and very conservative Republican.

I grew up as a Democrat but after being in business for a few years realized that it was just not for me. Am registered as a Republican now but will vote for anyone who I feel is a good candidate. On the other hand not sure I can vote for McCain (and he is running, right now, for the Prez office) as he is a RINO and leans a bit far liberal for me.

JoeA

[jyl]

I think the things that influence your political leaning are way too complicated to be captured by "it's genetics" or "older => conservative" or "kids opposite parents".

Think of all the people you know who outwardly look similar (similar economic level, education level, etc) who have clearly opposing views. Just as one example, I know two astrophysicists at Lawrence Berkely Labs, both white, highly-educated and in roughly the same place professionally and economically, who are 180 degrees apart in their political views.

On top of that, political leanings themselve are way too complicated to be captured by a single label of "liberal" and "conservative".

Think of all the people you know who are fiscal conservatives but not religious conservatives, or who are social liberals but fiscal conservatives.

Still, for the sake of discussion, here's something I find just as interesting as what makes one a so-called "liberal" or a so-called "conservative": What makes one person see everything as black and white, while another person sees shades of gray? You see that difference on this board. Some people are absolutists on every issue, others take a more case-by-case balancing approach.

As for me, my mother is a biologist and government functionary, quite Republican (her home is plastered with pictures of her embracing various Republican presidents), my father is a mathematician and aerospace engineer, politically non-aligned - he doesn't like either party. I didn't care much about politics when I was younger, after I began working I became sort of a Reagan Democrat (socially rather liberal, fiscally rather conservative, a bit of a defense hawk, voted for Ronnie). As I've gotten older I've become more negative on both the Republicans (I don't recognize that party anymore, they've totally lost their way on economic issues and are devoting their energy to stupid issues like Terri Schiavo) and the Democrats (they're hardly an organized party IMO, absent a dominating personality like Clinton the party lacks a coherent message). Between the parties I lean Democratic since a confused party is better than a stupid party. I also register Democrat since those are the more interesting primaries.

[skipdup]

Originally posted by jyl
...Think of all the people you know who are fiscal conservatives but not religious conservatives, or who are social liberals but fiscal conservatives. ....

Or, liberal but like guns!

[dd74]

Originally posted by widebody911
Why are the kids of so many conservatives gay? Is it the sexual repression of the religious right, or just the general Republican influence?

"So many?"

[aways]

There's no doubt that most people are liberal up until age 20 or so because they are overly idealistic and naive. The question is why do about half come to their senses when they enter the "real world", while others remain incapable of growing up and taking responsibility for themselves without the neeed for a nanny state to do it for them. As Churchill said: "If you arn't a liberal at 20, you have no heart, and if you're not a conservative by 30, you have no brain."...

[jyl]

Originally posted by skipdup
Or, liberal but like guns!

Shh, don't tell anyone.

[Mulhollanddose]

No, look at the poll numbers regarding Katrina...You see every black leader and many white DNC heads telling blacks that Bush didn't help because he doesn't care about them...What do you get?...Poll numbers that staggeringly reflect racist propaganda inbreeding...The left has been stirring up racial animus quite successfully for years, in an otherwise conservative black culture.

[livi]

My answer to your original question would be yes.

Perhaps not as in "born to be a liberal/conservative" but there is an overwhelming amount of data pointing to the fact that a wide variety of personality traits are genetically predisposed, as shown for example in twin - and adoption studies.

Different personality traits are genetically inherited in 40 - 80 %. Environment and the combination being responsible for the rest of the variance.

Different personalities will translate into certain ways of looking upon your self, your immediate family, choice of occupation, interpersonal relationships and so on and so on....

Ultimately that will affect the way you feel about political issues as well - making the genes the hardware of your computer.

Environment will make up the software that will influence your hardware, but only to a certain extent and most likely with the largest impact during your preschool years.

[dd74]

Originally posted by Mulhollanddose
No, look at the poll numbers regarding Katrina...You see every black leader and many white DNC heads telling blacks that Bush didn't help because he doesn't care about them...What do you get?...Poll numbers that staggeringly reflect racist propaganda inbreeding...The left has been stirring up racial animus quite successfully for years, in an otherwise conservative black culture.

The race argument pretty much died after aid started coming in and especially after Bush's speech last Thursday. Have you noticed Jackson, Sharpton and Dean haven't had much to say on the issue after their initial salvos?