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- Feb 6, 2010
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I've been turning an idea over in my head for a while.
It seems to me that the different political ideologies (Liberal, Conservative, Libertarian, Socialist, etc etc) tend to have the same kinds of people that subscribe to them. We see this in political stereotypes; the cheese-eating Liberal, the gun-waving Conservative.
So I have to wonder, does a person's psychological makeup determine what political philosophy they will follow?
For instance, someone who grew up in a more authoritative home with a more rigid structure, clearly delineated right/wrong, and a strong influence of traditions may push someone towards a more Republican mindset.
It also has to be considered that a person's upbringing, their parents and family, have a great influence on our psychological makeup. We generally get our base value system from those we spend the most time with and our morality system plays a big factor in what direction we pull the lever in the voting booth.
So, can we really say we pick our political ideology? Or does it pick us?
It seems to me that the different political ideologies (Liberal, Conservative, Libertarian, Socialist, etc etc) tend to have the same kinds of people that subscribe to them. We see this in political stereotypes; the cheese-eating Liberal, the gun-waving Conservative.
So I have to wonder, does a person's psychological makeup determine what political philosophy they will follow?
For instance, someone who grew up in a more authoritative home with a more rigid structure, clearly delineated right/wrong, and a strong influence of traditions may push someone towards a more Republican mindset.
It also has to be considered that a person's upbringing, their parents and family, have a great influence on our psychological makeup. We generally get our base value system from those we spend the most time with and our morality system plays a big factor in what direction we pull the lever in the voting booth.
So, can we really say we pick our political ideology? Or does it pick us?