Sons and Voters
Political pundits have had a hard time explaining British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s rightward drift in recent years. Many suggest the shift is due to the pressures of fighting the threat of terrorism. Others argue that Blair has sought to score points with Washington. But could his conservative turn be due to the influence of ...
Political pundits have had a hard time explaining British Prime Minister Tony Blair's rightward drift in recent years. Many suggest the shift is due to the pressures of fighting the threat of terrorism. Others argue that Blair has sought to score points with Washington. But could his conservative turn be due to the influence of his five-year-old son?
Political pundits have had a hard time explaining British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s rightward drift in recent years. Many suggest the shift is due to the pressures of fighting the threat of terrorism. Others argue that Blair has sought to score points with Washington. But could his conservative turn be due to the influence of his five-year-old son?
Having children changes your life. It also changes your politics, claim two British economists. "[H]aving daughters pushes people to become more left-wing. Giving birth to sons, by contrast, makes people more likely to vote in a right-wing way," write Andrew Oswald, a professor at Warwick University, and Nattavudh Powdthavee of the University of London. British parents with three daughters are 12 percent more likely to vote for a left-wing party than those with three sons. In Germany, a father’s chances of voting left increases by 2.5 percent with each daughter he has.
The authors argue that "men who [have] daughters begin to subconsciously represent the female point of view in the way they vote." These dads, for example, do not relish the thought of their daughters one day receiving lower wages than their male colleagues. In contrast, parents with boys may value lower taxes, as many believe such adjustments in the tax code generally favor men. The transformation apparently happens quickly. Oswald’s latest research shows that "about half of the move in political attitudes happens within a year [of a child’s birth]."
Critics accuse the study of just propagating old gender stereotypes. Social commentator Janet Daley jokes, "You might as well say people who buy pork rather than beef vote left rather than right. I’m completely unconvinced." But Oswald claims that this is "one of the strongest patterns I’ve ever seen in my career." So, how do the researchers explain President George W. Bush, who has twin daughters? If it weren’t for Barbara and Jenna, Oswald claims, Bush would be "even more right wing."
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