Chapter 4 - The Press Secretary in Your Mind Flashcards
What was the original political origin of the individual mandate in health care policy?
It originated as a conservative idea proposed by the Heritage Foundation in 1989 as an alternative to single-payer systems and employer mandates.
How did support for the individual mandate change between parties over time?
Initially supported by many Republicans, it became a Democratic policy centerpiece by 2009, leading Republicans to reject it—even calling it unconstitutional.
What does the shifting support for the individual mandate illustrate about political reasoning?
: It shows how political reasoning is often motivated by group loyalty rather than consistent principles or evidence.
What is “identity-protective cognition”?
A theory by Dan Kahan stating people subconsciously reject factual information that threatens their group identity or values.
What did Solomon Asch’s line experiment show about group influence?
People will often conform to incorrect group judgments, even when their own perceptions contradict them.
What did Geoffrey Cohen’s welfare experiment reveal about partisan bias?
Liberals and conservatives supported or opposed a welfare plan based on which party they were told endorsed it, regardless of the plan’s content.
What is “motivated reasoning”?
The tendency to process information in a way that aligns with our pre-existing beliefs and group identity, rather than objectively.
What was the result of Dan Kahan’s math-and-guns experiment?
People’s math skills helped them more when the correct answer aligned with their ideology; otherwise, they got it wrong—showing reasoning was biased.
How does more political knowledge affect partisan reasoning?
It often deepens bias; more informed partisans are better at rationalizing incorrect beliefs that support their team.
What metaphor does Jonathan Haidt use to describe human reasoning in politics?
He compares our reasoning to a White House press secretary—its job is to defend policies, not question or revise them.
What did the Supreme Court ruling on the individual mandate ultimately decide?
Chief Justice Roberts upheld it as a tax, even while rejecting the commerce clause argument—preserving the law but polarizing perceptions of the Court.
Why is the “more information” hypothesis flawed in the context of political polarization?
Because more information doesn’t reduce conflict; it often gives people more tools to defend their biases.
How does political identity impact who people consider an “expert”?
People are more likely to consider someone an expert if that person’s conclusions align with their beliefs.
What did the 2012 and 1988 studies show about partisan perceptions of economic conditions?
Better-informed partisans were more likely to report false economic trends when the data contradicted their political leanings.
What does Ezra Klein mean when he says “the smarter the person is, the dumber politics can make them”?
High intelligence often equips people to defend their ideological positions better, not to be more open-minded or accurate.
Why is motivated reasoning so powerful in politics?
Why is motivated reasoning so powerful in politics?
Chapter Summary (Intent & Core Message):
This chapter explores how human reasoning is shaped less by truth-seeking and more by identity protection. Drawing from psychological experiments and political history (like the flip on the individual mandate), Klein argues that our political beliefs are not the result of careful analysis but rather rationalizations that serve to protect our group membership and sense of self. The smarter we are, the better we become at defending our biases. This “motivated reasoning” isn’t just common—it’s how the human mind works in politically charged contexts.
