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Genes, personality, and political behavior

A replication and extension using Danish twins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 August 2022

Aaron Weinschenk ,
Christopher Dawes ,
Robert Klemmensen  and
Stig Hebbelstrup Rye Rasmussen
Aaron Weinschenk*
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin–Green Bay
Christopher Dawes
Affiliation:
New York University
Robert Klemmensen
Affiliation:
University of Southern Denmark
Stig Hebbelstrup Rye Rasmussen
Affiliation:
Aarhus University
*
Correspondence: Aaron Weinschenk, 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311. Email: weinscha@uwgb.edu
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Abstract

In this article, we examine whether there is genetic overlap between personality traits and political participation, interest, and efficacy. We make several contributions to the literature. First, we use new data from a large sample of twins from Denmark to examine the link between genes, the Big Five traits, and political behavior. Previous research in this area has not examined the Danish context. Second, because our measures have some overlap with those used in previous studies, we are able to examine whether previous findings replicate in a different sample. Finally, we extend the literature by examining the possible genetic link between some personality and political traits that have not yet been explored. Overall, we find that genes account for a fairly large share of the correlation between two of the Big Five personality traits (openness and extraversion), political participation, and political interest. Thus, most of the relationship between these personality traits and our measures of political behavior can be accounted for by a common underlying genetic component.

Keywords

political behaviorgenopoliticsheritabilitypersonalityBig Fivegenes
Type
Research Article
Information
Politics and the Life Sciences , Volume 42 , Issue 1 , Spring 2023 , pp. 4 - 16
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences

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