The Genetic Component In Voter Turnout

A new study finds that genes significantly affect variation in voter turnout, shedding new light on the reasons why people vote and participate in the political system. "Although we are not the first to suggest a link between genes and political participation," note the authors, "this study is the first attempt to test the idea empirically." They do so by conducting three tests of the claim that part of the variation in political participation can be attributed to genetic factors. The results suggest that individual genetic differences make up a large and significant portion of the variation in political participation, even after taking socialization and other environmental factors into account. They also suggest that, contrary to decades of conventional wisdom, family upbringing may have little or no effect on children's future participatory behavior. Read More...

Read the whole article on Scientific Blogging

More from Scientific Blogging

Related