The Political Brain is a ground-breaking investigation into the role of emotion in determining the political life of the nation. For two decades Drew Westen, professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University, has explored a theory of the mind that differs substantially from the more "dispassionate" notions held by most cognitive psychologists, political scientists, and economists,and Democratic campaign strategists. The idea of the mind as a cool calculator that makes decisions by weighing the evidence bears no ...
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The Political Brain is a ground-breaking investigation into the role of emotion in determining the political life of the nation. For two decades Drew Westen, professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University, has explored a theory of the mind that differs substantially from the more "dispassionate" notions held by most cognitive psychologists, political scientists, and economists,and Democratic campaign strategists. The idea of the mind as a cool calculator that makes decisions by weighing the evidence bears no relation to how the brain actually works. When political candidates assume voters dispassionately make decisions based on "the issues," they lose. That's why only one Democrat has been re-elected to the presidency since Franklin Roosevelt,and only one Republican has failed in that quest. In politics, when reason and emotion collide, emotion invariably wins. Elections are decided in the marketplace of emotions, a marketplace filled with values, images, analogies, moral sentiments, and moving oratory, in which logic plays only a supporting role. Westen shows, through a whistle-stop journey through the evolution of the passionate brain and a bravura tour through fifty years of American presidential and national elections, why campaigns succeed and fail. The evidence is overwhelming that three things determine how people vote, in this order: their feelings toward the parties and their principles, their feelings toward the candidates, and, if they haven't decided by then, their feelings toward the candidates' policy positions. Westen turns conventional political analyses on their head, suggesting that the question for Democratic politics isn't so much about moving to the right or the left but about moving the electorate. He shows how it can be done through examples of what candidates have said,or could have said,in debates, speeches, and ads. Westen's discoveries could utterly transform electoral arithmetic, showing how a different view of the mind and brain leads to a different way of talking with voters about issues that have tied the tongues of Democrats for much of forty years,such as abortion, guns, taxes, and race. You can't change the structure of the brain. But you can change the way you appeal to it. And here's how,
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This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside. This book has soft covers. Clean from markings. In good all round condition. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item, 650grams, ISBN: 9781586485733.
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PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
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New. 2008. Reprint. Paperback. This groundbreaking investigation by a renowned psychologist and neuroscientist proves it: We vote with our hearts, not our minds Num Pages: 496 pages. BIC Classification: JP. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 208 x 139 x 30. Weight in Grams: 512. How We Make Up Our Minds without Using Our Heads. 496 pages. A study of how the mind works, and what this means for why candidates win and lose elections. It shows through a whirlwind tour of American political leaders how electorates vote not with their heads, but with their hearts. It examines data across several Presidential elections from the 1950s onwards. Cateogry: (G) General (US: Trade). BIC Classification: JP. Dimension: 208 x 139 x 30. Weight: 502......We ship daily from our Bookshop.
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Good. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 496 p. May show signs of wear, highlighting, writing, and previous use. This item may be a former library book with typical markings. No guarantee on products that contain supplements Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Twenty-five year bookseller with shipments to over fifty million happy customers.
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New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 496 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 496 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
The Political Brain discusses a great deal of psychological research that helps explain why people in the United States mostly vote for the either the Democratic or Republican parties and what qualities in how they deliver their platforms are more likely to appeal to those undecided voters in the middle who tend, after all, to win or lose elections. Dr. Westen discusses the types of narratives in speeches of political leaders that most appeal to the electorate, and also the role of emotions in courting political preferences. In reading this book, one cannot help but feel that this is groundbreaking psychological research at a midpoint, awaiting other psychological researchers to advance the implications to a deeper level. For example, if support for the big parties rests largely on the way they appeal to certain values that are central to human psychology, then what are the broader implications of this research beyond two-party politics? What do these scientific discoveries of a psychological nature mean in terms of the potential for humans to transcend politics as usual, in other words the big parties, to achieve a less corrupt, violent, stressful, economically insecure and ecologically unsustainable world? Can this absolutely ground-breaking research, in other words, help the world as a whole and not just support the existing status quo? This book does not explore the deeper implications of the research, perhaps as it was admittedly fueled by a desire to better serve the Democratic Party which the author is a staunch supporter of, but it certainly does a masterful job of explaining at least why the existing political parties tend to succeed or fail at election times. A book highly worth reading for anyone interested in psychology, politics , science, or simply concerned for the future.
