Monday, November 29, 2010
Why People Are Irrational about Politics by Michael Huemer
Abstract: I look for explanations for the phenomenon of widespread, strong, and persistent disagreements about political issues. The best explanation is provided by the hypothesis that most people are irrational about politics and not, for example, that political issues are particularly difficult or that we lack sufficient evidence for resolving them. I discuss how this irrationality works and why people are especially irrational about politics.
1. Introduction: The Problem of Political Disagreement
Politics
is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to behavior within civil governments, but politics has been observed in other group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious institutions. It consists of "social relations involving authority or power"[1] and refers to the regulation of public affairs within a political unit,[2] and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy.
Define political behavior?
When you do the dishes for your wife after dinner this is the politics of sex. When you cease your chatter after the professor walks in the room this is political behavior. When you bite your tongue so hard there are teeth marks still on your tongue weeks later because your boss was yelling at you for something that was out of your control, this is political behavior. When you want to build or create your dream project so you glad hand your friends and neighbors in an attempt to rally support, this is political behavior. When you vote, this is political behavior. When you engage in deceptions and broken promises this is the politics of power.
Theories of political behavior
Theories of political behavior, as an aspect of political science, attempt to quantify and explain the influences that define a person's political views, ideology, and levels of political participation.
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