Does intelligence shape political beliefs? A new study suggests it does—more directly than previously thought. Researchers analyzing both IQ scores and genetic markers across hundreds of adoptive and biological families found that higher intelligence is consistently associated with more liberal, less authoritarian views. The findings go beyond surface-level correlations by controlling for socioeconomic background and using within-family comparisons, offering one of the strongest pieces of evidence to date that intelligence may play a causal role in shaping political ideology.
This doesn’t mean smart people all vote the same way, or that political orientation is genetically determined. But it does challenge the idea that beliefs are formed purely by culture, media, or upbringing. Understanding the cognitive and genetic influences on political views can shift how we approach disagreement, self-reflection, and dialogue.
Intelligence and Political Beliefs – What the Data Shows
A large-scale study involving over 300 adoptive and biological families found a consistent link between higher intelligence and more left-leaning political beliefs. Researchers measured intelligence using both traditional IQ scores and polygenic scores—genetic indicators associated with cognitive ability and educational attainment. They then compared these intelligence markers against six established scales of political beliefs. In every case, individuals with higher cognitive scores showed a clear tendency toward socially liberal and less authoritarian views. This pattern wasn’t limited to surface-level preferences but extended across a broad range of political attitudes.
What makes these findings especially significant is the study’s use of a within-family design. By comparing siblings raised in the same household—some biological, some adopted—the researchers were able to control for shared environmental and socioeconomic factors. This means the influence of intelligence on political beliefs couldn’t be easily explained away by external conditions like family income, parental education, or neighborhood. Even when those variables were held constant, higher intelligence scores still predicted more liberal views. The consistency of this relationship, especially within families, strengthens the case for a more direct connection between cognitive ability and political orientation.
In addition to IQ testing, the study analyzed participants’ genetic data using polygenic scores. These scores estimate an individual’s genetic predisposition toward traits like intelligence and educational achievement. Here too, the results were telling: higher polygenic scores were associated with stronger support for liberal social values and reduced support for authoritarian political attitudes. Unlike prior research, which often left room for debate about whether intelligence and political views were simply correlated due to outside influences, this study offers more robust evidence of a causal link—suggesting that intelligence itself may play a role in shaping how people see political and social issues.
These findings don’t suggest that intelligence alone determines a person’s political ideology, nor do they imply that one viewpoint is inherently more “correct” than another. But the data does show a measurable and consistent trend: people with higher cognitive ability—whether measured through IQ or genetic predisposition—are more likely to hold socially liberal and anti-authoritarian beliefs. This insight adds an important layer to our understanding of how psychological and biological factors intersect with political thought.
The Genetic Link – How Polygenic Scores Back Up the Findings
One of the study’s most significant contributions is its use of polygenic scores to explore the connection between intelligence and political beliefs. A polygenic score is a number based on thousands of genetic variants that each contribute a small effect to a particular trait—in this case, cognitive ability and educational attainment. These scores don’t determine intelligence outright, but they give a statistically valid estimate of someone’s genetic predisposition toward higher cognitive performance.
In this study, researchers used polygenic scores for both intelligence and educational achievement to see if genetics, independent of environment, played a role in shaping political ideology. What they found was clear: higher polygenic scores were strongly associated with more liberal views and less support for authoritarianism. This link held up even when comparing siblings, which helped eliminate confounding influences like parenting style or household income. In other words, when one sibling had a higher genetic propensity for intelligence, they were more likely to endorse liberal values—even if they were raised in the same home as their less cognitively predisposed sibling.
This genetic analysis is important because it strengthens the case that intelligence isn’t just socially shaped—it’s also biologically influenced in ways that extend to political thinking. Previous studies have shown a correlation between cognitive ability and political orientation, but it’s been hard to tell whether that link was due to upbringing, education access, or other social factors. By isolating the genetic component, this study provides more direct evidence that intelligence itself—rather than external conditions alone—can influence a person’s political attitudes.
It’s worth emphasizing that this doesn’t mean political beliefs are genetically hardwired. Rather, the findings suggest that the same genetic factors that contribute to cognitive ability also tend to push individuals toward more socially liberal, anti-authoritarian positions. This is not a deterministic relationship but a probabilistic one—having a higher polygenic score increases the likelihood of leaning left, but it doesn’t guarantee it. Still, the genetic connection helps explain why certain political tendencies persist even within families and across different social environments.
Controlling for Environment – Why the Study Design Matters
One of the main challenges in linking intelligence to political beliefs is separating cause from correlation. People with higher cognitive ability often grow up in wealthier families, attend better schools, and have more exposure to diverse ideas—all of which can influence political attitudes. Earlier studies showed correlations between IQ and liberalism, but critics rightly questioned whether those results were simply reflecting environmental advantages rather than a real connection. This study addresses that issue head-on by using a within-family design that controls for many of those shared external factors.
By examining both adoptive and biological siblings raised in the same households, the researchers were able to reduce the influence of family environment. Since adoptive siblings share no genes but do share an environment, any consistent patterns found across adoptive families would point to environmental effects. On the other hand, if biological siblings with different cognitive scores also differ in their political views—despite growing up in the same home—it suggests a stronger role for individual cognitive ability and genetic differences.
The results showed that intelligence predicted political beliefs within families, even after controlling for socioeconomic status and other shared environmental variables. This means the association between intelligence and liberal political attitudes wasn’t just a reflection of privilege, education level, or household dynamics. The study also used data collected across several years, from intake to long-term follow-up, which strengthens its reliability. By combining long-term tracking, genetic analysis, and family-based comparisons, the researchers could rule out many of the usual confounding variables.
In practical terms, this study is a methodological step forward. Rather than relying on general population surveys or self-reported data, the researchers used direct cognitive testing, detailed family data, and genetic information to triangulate their findings. This multi-layered approach makes the evidence more robust and helps clarify the role intelligence may play in shaping political ideology, independent of social or economic background.
What This Means for You – Rethinking Intelligence, Beliefs, and Bias
It’s tempting to read research like this and jump to conclusions about what it says about ourselves or others. But intelligence is not a political identity, and political beliefs are shaped by more than just cognitive scores or genetics. What this study does offer is a reminder that our thinking patterns—how we process information, deal with ambiguity, and assess authority—are influenced by cognitive traits that often operate in the background. Being aware of that can help us understand not just our own views, but why others may see things differently.
One takeaway is to be cautious about over-personalizing political differences. If intelligence has a measurable influence on political views, that doesn’t make one side inherently more “logical” or “rational” than the other—it means that different cognitive profiles may be better suited to certain ways of interpreting the world. For example, people with higher cognitive ability may be more comfortable with complexity, social change, and ambiguity, which can align more naturally with liberal ideologies. But that doesn’t mean conservative beliefs are irrational; they may stem from other priorities like tradition, stability, or community cohesion.
Another point to consider is how bias works in all directions. People of all intelligence levels are susceptible to echo chambers, motivated reasoning, and emotional responses to political topics. Intelligence may help someone analyze data or detect inconsistencies, but it doesn’t guarantee open-mindedness. In fact, smarter people are often better at rationalizing their existing beliefs. So, while cognitive ability might shape a person’s default political leanings, it doesn’t replace the need for critical thinking, curiosity, and humility.
For readers who want to apply this knowledge, it starts with recognizing that political conversations aren’t just battles of values—they also reflect differences in how people think and process the world. Practicing active listening, asking better questions, and avoiding assumptions about others’ intelligence or character based on their political stance can lead to more productive and respectful dialogue. And on a personal level, staying aware of your own cognitive blind spots—even if you consider yourself highly intelligent—can make your beliefs more resilient, not less.
The Bottom Line – Intelligence Isn’t Destiny, but It Does Shape Perspective
The link between intelligence and political beliefs isn’t just an academic curiosity—it’s a reminder of how biology, cognition, and lived experience intersect in subtle but meaningful ways. This study doesn’t claim that political views are genetically fixed, or that intelligence determines who’s “right.” Instead, it adds weight to the idea that how we think—our comfort with complexity, openness to new information, and response to authority—can influence where we land politically.
Understanding that helps shift the conversation away from moral judgment and toward cognitive perspective. It opens the door to more empathy in political debates—not because all views are equally valid, but because they often come from different ways of processing the world. It also puts responsibility back on the individual. Intelligence might influence your leanings, but it doesn’t absolve you from questioning your own biases, checking your sources, or engaging with views you don’t already agree with.
So what can you do with this information? If you’re intellectually curious, keep digging—but do it with the awareness that intelligence can reinforce beliefs just as easily as it can challenge them. If you find yourself in political conversations that go nowhere, try stepping back and considering not just what someone believes, but how they might have arrived there. That shift in focus—from outcome to process—can change the tone of dialogue and open space for mutual understanding.
Research like this doesn’t give final answers. But it does offer better questions: Are we aware of the forces shaping our views? Are we using our cognitive strengths to seek truth, or just to win arguments? Intelligence may tilt us in certain directions, but how we use it—that part’s still up to us.
Source:
- Edwards, T., Giannelis, A., Willoughby, E. A., & Lee, J. J. (2024). Predicting political beliefs with polygenic scores for cognitive performance and educational attainment. Intelligence, 104, 101831. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2024.101831
