Is Liberalism in the Genes?

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A side note in the news cycle this past week was research published finding that the seven-repeat allele for the Dopamine 4 receptor works in tandem with number of adolescent friendships to increase the likelihood that a person will be politically liberal as an adult. This allele is thought to be correlated with the temperamental trait of novelty seeking. The mechanism to liberalism here is theorized to be: (1) the DRD4-7R increases novelty seeking; (2) a novelty-seeking individual will seek out more varied friendships and be interested in learning more about those friends' points of view; (3) as a novelty-seeking individual accumulates more friends, their exposure to novel ways of thinking and lifestyles will increase; and finally (4) this exposure increases tolerance and support of diversity and other facets of contemporary liberalism.

Settle, Jaime E.; Dawes, Christopher T.; Christakis, Nicholas A.; Fowler, James H. Friendships Moderate an Association between a Dopamine Gene Variant and Political Ideology. The Journal of Politics (2010), 72: pp. 1,189-1,198. Cambridge University Press.

We have several liberal-leaning people with Asperger's syndrome on this forum, and given our typical lack of adolescent friendships, I'm wondering if we follow a different mechanism towards liberalism. In our case, it may be an interest in learning about new ideas (rather than people) or our exposure to the more negative aspects of the status quo through our AS that opens us to a more liberal point of view. Thoughts?

Novelty seeking defines me pretty accurately as well as the whole trying to get other points of view.

That's a weird study. I don't really believe that liberalism or any political ideology is predetermined in the genes. Your beliefs come from your experiences and people that have influenced you over the course of your lifetime. If you come from a liberal family/area you'll more likely be a liberal and the same for conservatives.

I'd really like to see if neurocongitive-genetic research on predispositions to "liberalism" identifies various subtypes of "liberals".

As for me, I'm fairly risk-averse and change avoidant.

My own leftism arrises from four factors

1) A leftwing concept of "social justice" aligns rather nicely with my moral intuitions.
2) My childhood was spent in a working poor home and my father was involved in unionization activities.
3) I'd rather extensively read various "netroots" opinions from the progressive left since elementary school.
4) Manitoban socialized medicine has treated me better than HMO death pannels would.

I do find it kinda ironic that a lot of rigthists are stressing environmental factors whereas the leftist who started this thread stressed genetic factors, as people like Steven Pinker have argued that environmental determinism is a problem on the left.

To answer the OP, liberalism (like almost any other heterogenous "personality characteristic") is influenced by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. I'm sure there's certain combinations of genetic traits which, under certain early formative circumstances, result in liberalism. And I'm sure, in the right environment, seemingly "illiberal" traits can result in "liberalism".

My own leftism comes from an intense preoccupation with political questions starting in childhood. I read a lot about the world around me, so that's another reason I'm more tolerant (and also more knowledgeable about the major problems caused by the actions of capitalists and current regimes). I understand people in a scientific way better than most NTs.

I know I have my own personal bias here, but I'd have to say the main reason I became a leftist is because it makes more logical sense than anything else if we're trying to build a more equal and free world for everybody.

I think politics is easier for us at a time of great upheaval and social change. If we apply ourselves to it we understand how to construct a workable political system a lot better than most people (though how we do it depends on the goals we are trying to achieve), but the problem is when the public isn't serious about politics they treat it like a character contest. In a crisis or a time where the public is demanding change they stop looking at character as much and instead look for solutions and not just solutions but passion. An Aspie interested in politics is going to be extremely passionate and more likely to have policies that will get things done.

Personally, my novelty seeking is probably medium to medium high (I'm easily bored, for example, but I don't enjoy doing risky, dangerous things for "the thrill," possibly because novelty seeking is mediated by a second temperamental trait, harm avoidance). I definitely did not have many friends in high school, but I did read about different cultures, religions, and points of view, which is enjoyable for me. My personal experiences have probably exposed me to more adversity than is typical of someone of my socio-economic background. I also met people of different backgrounds in college (including, gasp!, Muslims).

Politics is dung.

ruveyn

So what happens once the novelty has worn off?