Perspectives on Politics

Table of Contents - June 2008 - Volume , Issue 02  

Exchange

Beyond Liberals and Conservatives to Political Genotypes and Phenotypes

John R. Alforda1, Carolyn L. Funka2 and John R. Hibbinga3

a1 Rice University. E-mail: jra@rice.edu

a2 Virginia Commonwealth University. E-mail: clfunk@vcu.edu

a3 University of Nebraska-Lincoln. E-mail: jhibbing@unl.edu

Abstract

In the past, most political scientists have been oblivious to the growing empirical evidence challenging environmental determinism. Professor Charney, apparently as a result of the fact that genes and the environment interact in a complex fashion, advocates that this passive unawareness be replaced by active denial. Science, however, does not advance by avoiding important relationships merely because they are complicated and, fortunately, science is not heeding Charney's ideologically-based fears. Molecular geneticists, often working in tandem with political scientists, are quickly moving beyond twin studies to identify the specific suites of genes and biological systems that predict variation in core political preferences, whatever labels those preferences might be given in a particular culture at a particular time. We sympathize with the fact that our empirical findings, like those of so many behavioral geneticists, make Charney uncomfortable; still, his critique serves up nothing new—empirically or otherwise. Just as analyses of the roots of sexual preferences cannot presumptively ignore genetics, neither can analyses of the roots of political preferences.

Footnotes

John R. Alford is Associate Professor of Political Science, Rice University (jra@rice.edu). Carolyn L. Funk is Associate Professor of Political Science, Virginia Commonwealth University (clfunk@vcu.edu). John R. Hibbing is the Foundation Regents Professor of Political Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (jhibbing@unl.edu)

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