Even though public opinion polls show a general distaste for partisan divisions, a rising tide of political partisanship is sweeping into many aspects of American public life. Witness the several recent examples of how partisanship and ideology have replaced civil discussion and pragmatism. How many times have players from both sides of the political aisle tried to persuade the other side to think a certain way? And how many times does this actually work? Both sides continually struggle to understand where the other is coming from…oftentimes with very little to no success.
Theorists have long speculated on how factors such as age, gender, race, marital status, education, income, home ownership, political knowledgeability and church attendance affect and influence political leanings. But we are learning that these external factors do not play as much of a role as we once thought.
Increasingly, political positions are seen to be largely determined by biological factors. According to John Alford (political scientist, Rice University, Houston), “Political tendencies are like being left-handed or right-handed — you’re born feeling more natural using one hand or the other. It doesn’t mean you can’t switch — for many years lefties were taught to be righties. But it’s not easy.”
Based on a 2008 article in the New Scientist called “Born That Way,” opinions on a long list of issues from religion in schools to nuclear power and gay rights were found to have a substantial genetic component. Liberals and conservatives even have different patterns of brain activity.
Two groups pulling in different directions will always characterize politics. However, if these groups are genetically hard-wired to disagree, what does this mean for the future of debate and policy analysis?
Erica Orange
Vice President
Weiner, Edrich, Brown, Inc.
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Posted via email from The Future Café: People, Policy, Trends, Technology, Leadership, Foresight, Innovation, Design
