Is There An Ethnic or Genetic Basis for Political Beliefs?

[Ethereal]

I've recently begun pondering the question of whether or not one's genetics/ethnicity influence their political beliefs.

Obviously, there is no denying that genetics influence everything about a person, but what I'm really wondering is if that influence impacts a given individual's political beliefs and behavior in a significant way.

To use myself as an example, I've always had a strong anti-authoritarian streak, even before my beliefs coalesced into a coherent ideological construct. To what extent can this be explained by my Irish/Scottish ancestry? Am I genetically compelled to resist large scale authoritarian structures, just like my Scottish and Irish ancestors? Is it a coincidence that one of my best friends from the Marines, who is also of Irish descent, has almost exactly the same political beliefs that I do?

Keep in mind, I am asking these questions because I do not know the answers. This is an attempt to get the ball rolling for meaningful discussion, which brings me to my next point.

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[Safety]

I would imagine that most minorities base their political beliefs on their experience. By that, I mean given the value of family most individuals hold, there would be more that identify as conservative, but refuse to vote for them because of the views and comments other conservatives have in regards to minorities.

[Ethereal]

I would imagine that most minorities base their political beliefs on their experience. By that, I mean given the value of family most individuals hold, there would be more that identify as conservative, but refuse to vote for them because of the views and comments other conservatives have in regards to minorities.

Certainly experience has a lot to do with it. But can experiences be carried in a person's genetics as well? Are my genes carrying the memories of centuries of English oppression in them? Sometimes I wonder.

[Captdon]

Considering I come from a very military family where following orders and obeying authority is necessary, I can't see my environment having an effect. My father was a second generation German. They are not known for rebellion.

My heritage is German, Irish, Scottish and English. Three relatively rebellious backgrounds.

I have always have a problem with authority. I wasn't arrested and never went to prison but I certainly had a difficult time with anyone in authority. I usually learned as much as I could about my occupation to make myself more valuable as an employee than I lost with my attitude.

So I have an ethnic heritage to explain my attitude but an environment that is the opposite. I don't have any real idea why I am what I am but I go against one of the things that make up my life
and with one.

[Chris]

Society selects for traits it values. IOW, those who hold certain values and beliefs are more likely to find a mate and have children. The problem is we're capable of thinking things up that make no sense.

[Dr. Who]

Certainly experience has a lot to do with it. But can experiences be carried in a person's genetics as well? Are my genes carrying the memories of centuries of English oppression in them? Sometimes I wonder.

There is such thing as genetic memory, but I think that the influence of family is stronger and by that I mean the history of stories that are handed down in families that helped shape the characters of one's ancestors and one's parents. I see the Scots and Irish as rather different from one another in terms of history and culture. The Scots were less anti-authoritarian than fiercely nationalistic. The Irish while somewhat nationalistic, are more anti-authoritarian, largely because the British treated them as inferior people, which they didn't the Scots. The Scots were historically more militaristic (in the formal sense) and conservative, the Irish more prone to rebelliousness and frankly more liberal. This might result in a family history comprised of both cultural influences in a person who is a combination of both depending on the greater influences of one culture or the other. It's a bit like genetics.

[Standing Wolf]

It seems to me that almost every culture and ethnicity is fond of attributing certain characteristics to itself; being anti-authoritarian (or, as I like to put it, contrarianism) is one of those characteristics. (I'd have to say that Asians, as a rule, are the exception when it comes to that particular claimed trait.) I've frequently made the point that Americans have always displayed that tendency, but I believe that's more a product of history and environment than anything else. After all, most of us are genetic mutts at this point. My own ancestry is almost all German and Swiss-German on one side, and pretty much all French, English and Scottish on the other, so I would think it impossible to parse out what genetic predisposition came from what line.