The Hidden Agenda of the Political Mind: How Self-Interest Shapes Our Opinions and Why We Won't Admit It

by Jason Weeden, Robert O. Kurzban

Overview

Why your political views are more self-serving than you think

When it comes to politics, we often perceive our own beliefs as fair and socially beneficial, while seeing opposing views as merely self-serving. But in fact most political views are governed by self-interest, even if we usually don't realize it. Challenging our fiercely held notions about what motivates us politically, this book explores how self-interest divides the public on a host of hot-button issues, from abortion and the legalization of marijuana to same-sex marriage, immigration, affirmative action, and income redistribution.

Expanding the notion of interests beyond simple economics, Jason Weeden and Robert Kurzban look at how people's interests clash when it comes to their sex lives, social status, family, and friends. Drawing on a wealth of data, they demonstrate how different groups form distinctive bundles of political positions that often stray far from what we typically think of as liberal or conservative. They show how we engage in unconscious rationalization to justify our political positions, portraying our own views as wise, benevolent, and principled while casting our opponents' views as thoughtless and greedy.

While many books on politics seek to provide partisans with new ways to feel good about their own side, The Hidden Agenda of the Political Mind illuminates the hidden drivers of our politics, even if it's a picture neither side will find flattering.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691161112
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	10/05/2014
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Jason Weeden is a senior researcher with the Pennsylvania Laboratory for Experimental Evolutionary Psychology (PLEEP) and a lawyer in Washington, DC. Robert Kurzban is professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and founder of PLEEP. He is the author of Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind (Princeton).

Table of Contents

Part I: Political Minds

Chapter 1: Agendas in Action 3

Chapter 2: Investigating Interests 26

Chapter 3: Machiavellian Minds 44

Part II: Political Issues

Chapter 4: Fighting over Sex: Lifestyle Issues and Religion 69

Chapter 5: Rules of the Game: Group Identities and Human Capital 96

Chapter 6: Money Matters: Redistribution and Hard-Times Programs 123

Part III: Political Coalitions

Chapter 7: The Many Shades of Red and Blue 145

Chapter 8: The Republican Coalition 160

Chapter 9: The Democratic Coalition 176

Part IV: Political Challenges

Chapter 10: An Uncomfortable Take on Political Positions 195

Acknowledgments 217

Appendixes 219

Data Appendix for Chapter 2 219

Data Appendix for Part II 236

Data Appendix for Chapter 4 251

Data Appendix for Chapter 5 268

Data Appendix for Chapter 6 287

Data Appendix for Chapter 8 304

Data Appendix for Chapter 9 321

Notes 343

References 351

Index 359

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Weeden and Kurzban are brilliant thinkers who provide a broader, deeper, and occasionally unsettling new perspective on how our self-interest influences our choices—even choices made by those of us who cherish the belief that we are not motivated by self-interest. Read it and weep, or laugh."—Douglas T. Kenrick, coauthor of The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think

"The ideas that Weeden and Kurzban explore in this book are transformative. They will get people thinking and talking about human behavior, morality, and politics in entirely new ways. The Hidden Agenda of the Political Mind is an important book."—Joshua Tybur, VU University Amsterdam

Editorial Reviews

"Weeden and Kurzban's argument will trouble those who believe that politics is about more than trying to find ways to satisfy one's interests."

Choice

"[T]hought provoking."—-John R. Hibbing, Science

From the Publisher

11/15/2014
Authors Weeden (senior researcher, Pennsylvania Laboratory for Experimental Evolutionary Psychology) and Kurzban (psychology, Univ. of Pennsylvania; founder, Pennsylvania Laboratory for Experimental Evolutionary Psychology; Why Everyone [Else] Is a Hypocrite) have written a well-researched, albeit dense, analysis of the political mind. Drawing upon substantial data extracted from expansive social science research, the authors reveal the complex interplay of factors contributing to our political beliefs and postures. The book is divided into four parts: "Political Minds," "Political Issues," "Political Coalitions," and "Political Challenges." Part 1 discusses ways in which psychology plays into defense of political positions. Part 2 discusses hot-button political issues, such as abortion, while revealing the demographics and interest bases behind political stances. Part 3 elucidates ways in which coalitions are formed from varying political interests. Finally, the last section acknowledges the complexity of the human mind, conceding the limitations of political interest as the sole basis of political beliefs. VERDICT An academic work consisting of over 150 pages scholarly apparatus in addition to the actual text, the book satisfies the intellectual demands of researchers and general readers. Perfect for fans of Thomas Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas?—Lynne Maxwell, West Virginia Univ. Coll. of Law Lib., Morgantown

Library Journal

2014-09-16
An examination of how selfishness and self-deception characterize political thinking. Psychologists Weeden and Kurzban (Why Everyone (Else) is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind, 2011) argue that one's opinions on social and political issues, liberal or conservative, are shaped by self-interest. No matter the issue, they write, "policies people fight over have real-life consequences that help some people and harm others. In our view, all sides typically seek to advance their interests and are hypocritical in the way they present their views." In support of their argument, they use data from the U.S. General Social Survey, which asks for responses on issues such as same-sex marriage, abortion, immigration reform, government-provided health insurance, legalization of marijuana, gun control and income equality. About a third of the book consists of appendices summarizing the results of the surveys, with respondents distinguished by race, income, religion, ethnicity, level of education and intellectual ability. All individuals, the authors assert, behave like politicians or CEOs, hiding their real motives behind "socially attractive veneers. The Public Relations Departments of people's minds craft stories about the benevolent wisdom of their own views and the malevolent idiocy of their opponents' views." Admitting the limits of their analysis, the authors cannot explain why some people show concern over environmental issues, defense spending or physician-assisted suicide. What, they wonder, are the "real-life interests" that motivate them? "[W]hile we understand why news stories involving floods and storms, environmental catastrophes, or terrorist bombings are particularly attention grabbing for human minds…we don't see how this leads to widespread, passionate conflict within society." Self-interest, in the authors' view, is myopically focused on immediate needs. "Our view is…a deeply cynical one," write the authors, and is "unlikely to change anything about how people argue publicly about their preferred policies." However, this disturbing book may provoke debate, dismay and considerable anger.

Kirkus Reviews