Researchers see genes influencing votes

— -- When you step into the voting booth in November, you will have only a partial say in your decision.

And it's your parents' fault.

A class at Vanderbilt University is studying the role genetics plays in political decisions, from an electorate's willingness to vote to the ballot it casts.

The research, conducted across the country, is shedding light on how our candidate of choice might not be entirely our own choosing.

"It's clearly cutting edge, but we're cutting at the very edge," said professor John Geer, who teaches the Genetics and Politics class with Dr. David Bader, a Vanderbilt biology professor.

The professors play off each other, tying together studies of voter turnout with discussions on social Darwinism.

What's inescapable, though, is their argument that genetics have some role in how we think about politics.

"It's not just socialization, it's not just nurture," Bader said. "There really are differences in people.

"I think it's silly to say genes don't play a difference."

Three years ago, a Rice University study examined the political similarities between identical twins versus fraternal twins. Identical twins, who have the same genetic blueprint, tend to share more political views than fraternal twins, the study found.

Since then, scientists — both political and biological — have fought quietly over the origin of our political views: whether they're entirely a product of the people around us, or whether we've already chosen our candidates without even realizing it.

The verdict, like those pesky swing voters, lies somewhere in the middle.

"Your genotype doesn't define you," Bader said. "It may put you on a generalized path, but is there a single gene of whether you're a conservative or liberal? I would sincerely doubt that."

But liberals and conservatives do have differences that may not be dictated by choice, according a study by New York University psychology professor David Amodio.

Amodio was the lead author of a September study that analyzed how self-proclaimed liberals and conservatives use a portion of the brain that activates when a person is confronted with information or ideas contrary to his established beliefs.