Genetic predictors of educational attainment and intelligence test performance predict voter turnout
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4693198 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lene Aarøe (0000-0003-4551-3750, Aarhus University), Vivek Appadurai (0000-0002-2148-6201, Sankt Hans Hospital), Kristine M Hansen (0000-0002-8286-4771, University of Copenhagen), Andrew J Schork (0000-0003-4164-9335, Sankt Hans Hospital), Thomas Werge (0000-0003-1829-0766, Mental Health Services), Ole Mors (0000-0002-5660-0393, Aarhus University Hospital), Anders D Børglum (0000-0001-8627-7219, Aarhus University), David M Hougaard (0000-0001-5928-3517, Statens Serum Institut), Merete Nordentoft (0000-0003-4895-7023, Copenhagen University Hospital), Preben Bo Mortensen (0000-0002-5230-9865, Aarhus University), Wesley K Thompson (0000-0002-1148-1976, University of California San Diego), Alfonso Buil (0000-0002-1863-164X, Lundbeck Foundation), Esben Agerbo (0000-0002-2849-524X, Aarhus University, corresponding author), Michael Bang Petersen (0000-0002-6782-5635, Aarhus University) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 281-291 |
| Publication date | 2020-11-09 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Nature Human Behaviour (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2397-3374 • E-ISSN: 2397-3374 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41562-020-00952-2 |
| PMID | 33168953 |
| OpenAlex | W3099770591 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 17 |
| References cited | 92 |
Although the genetic influence on voter turnout is substantial (typically 40-50%), the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Across the social sciences, research suggests that 'resources for politics' (as indexed notably by educational attainment and intelligence test performance) constitute a central cluster of factors that predict electoral participation. Educational attainment and intelligence test performance are heritable. This suggests that the genotypes that enhance these phenotypes could positively predict turnout. To test this, we conduct a genome-wide complex trait analysis of individual-level turnout. We use two samples from the Danish iPSYCH case-cohort study, including a nationally representative sample as well as a sample of individuals who are particularly vulnerable to political alienation due to psychiatric conditions (n = 13,884 and n = 33,062, respectively). Using validated individual-level turnout data from the administrative records at the polling station, genetic correlations and Mendelian randomization, we show that there is a substantial genetic overlap between voter turnout and both educational attainment and intelligence test performance
Biology · Educational attainment · Political science · Turnout · Voter turnout · Voting · Cognitive Abilities and Testing · Genetic Associations and Epidemiology · Media Influence and Politics · Psychology
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| Unique citing works | 17 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3,4 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 14 |