According to this story, some scientists are saying political attitudes could be genetic. Their research indicates that identical twins show more similar beliefs than fraternal ones do.
I don’t doubt there is some truth to the hypothesis. I’d guess certain personality traits are consistent with certain political ideologies, so genes could play a role. And it’s an improvement on some political belief research; the last study I recall compared Rush Limbaugh to Adolf Hitler.
However, I seriously question the methodology used.
I would suggest that identical twins will be more likely to react the same way to their parents’ political views. Genetically identical brothers, for example, might both dutifully follow, or rebelliously reject, a father’s social conservatism. Fraternal twins are more likely to see one go one way and the other another. If this is true it’s not political opinion but rebelliousness that’s inherited.
There is a lot of research taking place in genetics right now. In a few decades we’ll know what a lot of genes do, and we’ll know how those genes vary across political ideology, race, gender, etc. We probably won’t like a lot of what we find.
We shouldn’t jump to conclusions with the limited research available right now, however, so I don’t think this news deserves much deference.
Robert VerBruggen blogs at http://robertsrationale.blogspot.com.
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