Advancing the Study of Politics and the Brain: Targets for Research on Neurology and Political Behavior

In this paper I argue that advancing research on neurology is creating important opportunities for political scientists to integrate its findings into their research, particularly with regard to the effects of emotional processes on political behavior. I provide a general background on neural anatomy, genetics, and neurobiological chemicals, and I briefly review techniques of neurological research, the findings that have been developing, and the limitations on the research. I provide an overview of selected key neural anatomy, and neurotransmitters and hormones, that play a role in neurological functions, and particularly in the development and expression of emotions. I then suggest three targets for future research on political behavior and explain the rationales for choosing them. They are: (1) the role of the amygdala as a brain region centrally involved in emotional processes and potentially having a causal role in generating emotional activity, conditioned by its complex anatomy; (2) serotonin as a promising target for research on the role of neurotransmitters as causal agents in emotions and behavior; and (3) anger as a prime target emotion for study. I conclude with some brief comments about the potential benefits of neurological research for the understanding of a variety of politically relevant phenomena, and the obligations of political scientists to monitor advances in this research and integrate neuroscience into curricula and research strategies