Socio-ecological influences on political ideology

Abstract

Individuals' political ideologies influence almost every aspect of life. But where do political ideologies come from? In this article, we discuss new research on socio-ecological influences on political ideology. This emerging body of work reveals that the presence of ecological stressors (including disease, harsh climates, frontier topography, wildfires, and earthquakes) tends to produce politically conservative people who prefer hierarchy and authoritarianism. Current research further suggests two mechanisms by which these natural ecologies influence political ideology: Threat and relational mobility. We close by distinguishing two different ideological components: Ideological conservatism (identification with specific conservative beliefs) and status quo conservatism (preference for the existing system, regardless of its specific content). Recent research suggests that these two ideological components, while empirically related, should be more explicitly separated in future work that evaluates socio-ecological influences on political ideology.