People’s attitudes and actions are shaped by their physiology and evidence is growing that political orientations, such as whether a person leans toward the political right or the political left and whether a person is politically involved or politically apathetic, have physiological markers. For example, studies have shown that people whose physiology responds more noticeably to threatening stimuli are also more likely to adopt “protective” policies such as taking a harder line on immigration and a more supportive line on national defense spending. To date, however, such evidence is scattered, limited, and based on “small N” studies. In this paper, we utilize a recently compiled data set drawn from 340 adults that contains numerous physiological measures (electrodermal, cardiovascular, electromyography or EMG, and electroencephalography or EEG) and complete political information, making it possible to extend current knowledge of the physiological correlates of political temperament. In analyzing these data, we find a variety of significant relationships between physiology and politics and conclude by discussing the implications of the fact that people’s political predispositions are correlated with their physiological predispositions.
