Special Issue: Genes and Politics
From Journal of Theoretical Politics
Over the course of the last 30 years of research, the view that preferences are almost exclusively environmentally driven has eroded. Over the last 5 years in particular, it has become widely accepted that genetic factors contribute to individual differences in political and social behaviors. This special issue recognizes how research has begun to link genetic findings to broader aspects of political behaviors. The articles included strive to move beyond discovery and focus more on the integration of behavioral genetic models with mainstream theories of political behavior to analyze problems of interest to political scientists. This special issue is designed to answer: where are we now; where can we go with the use of genetic analysis; and why and how do genes matter for understanding complex and important political behaviors.
