title: A Neurology of the Conservative-Liberal Dimension of Political Ideology.
abstract: Differences in political ideology are a major source of human disagreement and conflict. There is increasing evidence that neurobiological mechanisms mediate individual differences in political ideology through effects on a conservative-liberal axis. This review summarizes personality, evolutionary and genetic, cognitive, neuroimaging, and neurological studies of conservatism-liberalism and discusses how they might affect political ideology. What emerges from this highly variable literature is evidence for a normal right-sided "conservative-complex" involving structures sensitive to negativity bias, threat, disgust, and avoidance. This conservative-complex may be damaged with brain disease, sometimes leading to a pathological "liberal shift" or a reduced tendency to conservatism in political ideology. Although not deterministic, these findings recommend further research on politics and the brain.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (MFM); and Neurology Service, Neurobehavior Unit, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles (MFM).
authors.forename: Mario F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mendez
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009462:Neurology; D010551:Personality; D011057:Politics; D011639:Public Opinion
keywords: Cognitive Disorders; Dementia; Ethics