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Possible evolutionary origins of nationalism

Kanazawa, Satoshi ORCID: 0000-0003-3786-8797 (2021) Possible evolutionary origins of nationalism. Political Behavior, 43 (4). 1685 - 1705. ISSN 0190-9320

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Identification Number: 10.1007/s11109-021-09741-7

Abstract

Why do some individuals support nationalist policies while others don’t? The Savanna-IQ Interaction Hypothesis in evolutionary psychology suggests that more intelligent individuals may be more likely to acquire and espouse evolutionarily novel values whereas less intelligent individuals may be more likely to hold evolutionarily familiar values. Nationalism is evolutionarily familiar, so the Savanna-IQ Interaction Hypothesis suggests that less intelligent individuals may be more likely to be nationalist. The analyses of the General Social Survey (GSS) data in the US and the National Child Development Study (NCDS) data in the UK confirmed the prediction. Less intelligent Americans were more likely to have nationalist attitudes, and less intelligent British voters were more likely to support nationalist parties in five general elections over three decades. The tendency of less intelligent individuals to be more nationalist and belligerent may, among other things, form the microfoundation of democratic peace in international relations.

Item Type: Article
Official URL: https://www.springer.com/journal/11109
Additional Information: © 2021 The Author, under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Divisions: Management
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
J Political Science > JC Political theory
Date Deposited: 31 May 2022 11:21
Last Modified: 12 Dec 2024 02:43
URI: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/115258

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