ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors introduce the field of study within political psychology known commonly as biology and politics or biopolitics, and address biological conditions that quite often do not enter conscious awareness but still have clear relevance for public opinion. Contrast the traditional model in the upper panel with the lower panel, representing our preferred, biologically informed model. Genetics is only one of the elements shaping the biological predispositions that convert individuals’ life events into their political beliefs and actions. The authors focus on four general aspects of biology: genetics, electrodermal response, endocrines, and neuroscience. Before turning to a discussion of these four areas and their relevance to public opinion, they set the stage by describing their overarching theoretical framework, and the importance of non-conscious information processing and biology as they pertain to politics.
