How is a persons politics influenced, once they really understand evolution?
915250
I agree with you.  It does shed a light on why we have to stick up for our own.  Have you read these books?\nThe Origins of Virtue: Human Instincts and the Evolution of Cooperation by Matt Ridley\n\nThe Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule by Michael Shermer
295714
:}\nEact is always acceptable\nremember evolution is a theory\nyou Ara in school to learn  learn the theory. but remember your beliefs. If you have questions ask them out of class to Christians who are well informed. go slowly at first until you find out how much you can say or challenge.
228836
Working on my BSc in Biology\n\nNo, it has had no effect. I neither believed in gods before I had learned about the field of evolution, nor do I believe in gods now.\nHowever, had I believed in some god or gods, I find it highly doubtful that studying evolution would have changed my views in the least. If anything, I would have been impressed that the god/s could create such an elegant and dynamic process to provide life with the means to adapt and diversify over time.\nAs others have mentioned, the only people for whom studying evolution is likely to change their beliefs are those who insist that their chosen religious text (typically, in my experience, the bible) must be interpreted literally, or it is invalid. Of course, such individuals have much bigger challenges to their interpretation than evolution, but they seem to percieve it as a major threat, for some reason.
788350
In general, people who attack evolution barely know anything about it as it is. I seriously doubt they'd take the time to learn about any *other* scientific theories.
687408
Politics are for the very reason you exist. To protect (supposedly) those that cannot protect themselves.\n\nYou may think it does not affect you but it does, in every way shape and form.\n\nPoliticians make laws. So every law you follow, from the speed limit, to commerce, to an ordinance in your own town on men being able to wear shirts in public or not is ALL becuase of a politician that proposed legislation that was voted on and made into law.\n\nIt's ok that you are disconnected from the political spectrum. At least you admit it. For that you rule.\n\nThen there are those that THINK they know what they are talking about and truely don't.
113999
A friend of mine has been trying to explain rational behavior in terms of evolution and such.  I think you might be interested in reading it.
639034
It is a symbiotic relationship.  Sometimes societies beliefs are shaped by public policy such as the entire indoctrination of saying the pledge of alligiance in the classroom every morning.  That policy scoops up a great deal of children who later become unquestioning citizens, it is mind control from early on.  \nSometimes (more often I think) societies beliefs shape public policy, many of the gains for people in the 60's such as freedom of speech, freedom of inquiry, maybe even ending the Vietnam war was not the government policy makers choice, and it wasn't a politician who made the changes (JFK and all that) they signed on the dotted lines, passed laws (think of the civil rights movement) because people put on such pressure that they had to for political reasons. \n\nIf more people understood the latter position, we would have a much more just society today.  Politicians reply to the greatest pressure.  If it is not people pressure, then they just go for the money and that is what drives society at the current time.  \n\nThe only break in this pattern was the May 1 marches for immigrant rights.  That was more about people than profit.
813654
Thank you for sharing your epiphany with modern day politics.  I once had the highest regard for our political powers based on what I learned from the history of our founding fathers as we all have learned and I have come to the same conclusion.  The reality of the matter is that politics is everything whether we like it or not. The stroke of a pen from a leader represents a decision for the masses even if the paperwork does not represent our thoughts and beliefs to the fullest extent. That is why we must stay on top of the game and elect our leaders as skillfully as possible.  Knowing your political roots and being able to distinguish between the issues is a self taught philosophy that your social standing forces you to entertain.  Be patient.  Be informed.  Inform others.  We shall overcome!!
1095657
Very perceptive grasshopper.  It is ridiculous, I think that Politics makes me nuts.  It goes all the way down to local government.  It is almost as soon as they get into office they forget about all the people and only care for the few. I hate to get started, you never know who's tapping into your conversations anymore: in the name of security we lose our voice.  You gotta say they have some slick moves.
849658
It's a gradual process, you'd never notice it.  It generally works like this: attractive people with talents that make money provide the resources for their children to be likewise successful.  These people are less likely to die than most people (better healthcare, less violent neighborhoods, etc.) and as such pass on their traits more readily.  It's an everyday process.\n\nThe modern trend in evolution is a focus away from disease resistance.  Once diseases would often kill people before they would have children, and so those that did have children would be on average 'healthier'.  In the advanced world today (Japan, western Europe, the US, etc.) this is less of an issue, so people with favorable traits in other respects but less 'genetic health' are more likely to pass on their genes.
497319
I'd say that voters need to update their knowledge about the political system. It's not like 200 years back when you just voted for one or the other party, if you are aware that things changed then you should inform yourself of what to vote for.
134293
The answer to your first question is complex, but if you get a great answer to the 2nd one, you might just win the peace prize!!  Passions tend to overide rationality, as does money.  Policy choices in general are influenced by money and by getting re-elected.  I'm sorry, I sound cynical, surely there are some politicians out there trying their best to do the right thing for right reason.  Hopefully you will get a more in-depth answer than mine.
1086389
That's hard to answer.\n\nI grew up thinking that I did the thinking for my family.  And I was allowed to make more decisions than any child should make.  But as an adult, I can see that I was manipulated.  I was in charge because others abdicated their responsibilities.  It wasn't my idea, and it was largely reactive.\n\nI did hold up my science class asking questions about evolution.  I guess there are some who would argue that I let church think for me, but I realized that what I had been taught was not going to help me argue in science class.  I learned everything I could from other books.  My biology teacher, bless his heart, would tell you I have a mind of my own.  I gave all the required answers on the final, wrote an essay on the back about why I disagreed with all my answers on the front, and passed with an "A" and a clean conscience.\n\nDo I ever take someone else's word for something?  Sure.  Do I have preconceived ideas as a result of my upbringing and influences?  Probably.  But I am responsible for what I believe.  So it behooves me to know what I believe and why I believe it to the best of my ability.
545800
Issues and concerns change. The politician who does not change is often left high and dry. If a politician runs for a higher office than the one they currently hold, they have to take into account the larger, more diverse population which is eligible to vote for the higher office. \n\nPolitics is often called "the art of the possible," for these very reasons. It's also been said that "the primary job of a politician is to get re-elected." This implies that he or she must change with the people who elect him or her and reflect their concerns. Holding onto an early "mandate" can be very difficult when you have to change your original positions.\n\nOther problems: being elected on a "mandate" is one thing, actually DOING something about it when you get into office is quite another; many times, those elected on a "mandate" discover that they need more help getting the madate implemented than they can muster; there's also the fact that being together with other politicians in a location far from your constituents often makes the memory of why you were elected fade.\n\nPolitics is a constant game of balances and compromises.
978577
Yes. Try the evolutionary point of view. Many psychological and sociological events take a better light, too.
855598
In this modern world, a leader need to be educated. especially with so much ministerial dialogues between state leaders on all matters of mutual importance.  Do we expect an uneducated leader to understand the ill-effects of climate change, international trade imbalance, inflation & deflation. Would they understand a virus that recently infect my computer?  \nMoreover, there are more educated people today than yesterdays where education were confined mostly to monarchs and their families.
766240
Political Science (the science of politics) must take into consideration the population that politics serve.  In a nation where there is, even a large minority of people who believe in one theology or the other, polititions must at least appear to hear them (or lose).   In the United States Christianity in various forms has formed the values of many, many people (even those who do not go to any church).  Therefore, the science of politics, demands that we at least listen to those voices, and perhaps even afford those voices some power, in order to maintain our own.