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Drew Westen

The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation Paperback – May 6, 2008

by Drew Westen (Author)

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The Political Brain is a groundbreaking 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

Print length

496 pages
Language

English
Publisher

PublicAffairs
Publication date

May 6, 2008
Dimensions

5.5 x 1.38 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

1586485733
ISBN-13

978-1586485733
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Drew Westen received his B.A. at Harvard, an M.A. in Social and Political Thought at the University of Sussex (England), and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan, where he subsequently taught for six years. For several years he was Chief Psychologist at Cambridge Hospital and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. He is a commentator on NPR's All Things Considered and lives in Atlanta.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ PublicAffairs; Reprint edition (May 6, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1586485733
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1586485733
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.11 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.38 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #474,952 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #237 in Propaganda & Political Psychology
- #395 in Political Parties (Books)
- #599 in Civics & Citizenship (Books)

Customer Reviews:
178 ratings

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4 star		18%
3 star		6%
2 star		4%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Bri

good to a point

Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2020

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basically what could help democrats win.all well and good,but that side has much of the same donors(drug companies,defense contractors,oil industry,etc.)as the republicans.THAT'S why they don't push back fundamentally.
one of my big problems with the author is his unapologetic.uneducated islamaphobia.he sounds like george bush when he mentions muslims actually.he fell for the propaganda.instead of drinking the koolaid of the cult,he should sip from the tea of informed tact.
i know right-wingers wear their stances/prejudices on their sleeves,but the problem with the liberal side is the smugness they can exude towards everyone else,when,let's face,they're no better.they went to college to deepen THEIR prejudices with a more expanded vocabulary.
otherwise,it's interesting from a psychological standpoint on how and what moves the masses.again,it's worth it to a point,just keep in mind that he's a bit of a meathead

One person found this helpful

Helpful

ARGTop Contributor: Pets

Politics is a gut instinct not a policy debate.

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2017

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Interesting take on politics. Not the most balanced book especially towards the end, not biased just not going to enjoy if you lean right. Using psychology and insights from experiments from academia, Drew Westen lays out a case for the non rational voter and how political messaging really works instead of how it should work. Politics is a gut instinct not a policy debate. It is also written pre Obama and so it is a bit of a time capsule which is interesting. Seeing George W Bush say no one thinks guns should ever be in schools seems like another planet as we read it in 2016 where arming teachers and concealed weapons is part of the 2nd Amendment fight.

7 people found this helpful

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Arizona EAGLEtarian

Logic NEVER prevails in high stakes elections

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2016

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People don't seem to understand that elections are not won or lost based on issues. Westen's research documents the role of emotion. Winning candidates win when they get voters to like them and when they get the voters to viscerally dislike the opponent.

That's why "going negative" works. Everytime. Westen explains how it works.

9 people found this helpful

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A compelling counternarrative

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2008

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"The Political Brain" by Drew Westen is an important contribution to the political science literature in general and an inspiration for Democratic Party supporters in particular. Mr. Westen's knowledge of psychology and the cognitive sciences provides insight into how the individual develops a political consciousness. Showing how the Republican Party has gained advantage by developing an emotionally fear-laden narrative designed to exploit the electorate's psychic sensibilities, Mr. Westen argues that Democrats can and must develop a compelling counternarrative that appeals to the American public's better angels in order to inspire their supporters and win consistently at the polls.

The first section discusses the mind, brain and emotion in politics. Mr. Westen draws upon the latest scientific research to explain how emotion is integral to the brain's cognitive function. Mr. Westen recites passages delivered by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Bill Clinton to illustrate how political messages are most effective when they tie issues to emotionally resonant themes and images. Importantly, Mr. Westen also deconstructs the neoliberal ideology of Ronald Reagan to help us better understand the importance of evolutionary psychology and crafting popular messages with curb appeal.

The second section provides a blueprint for executing emotionally compelling campaigns. Mr. Westen explores the multiple layers of voter intelligence to reveal how Republicans have successfully used subliminal messaging to activate the public's feelings of anxiety in order to get people to vote against their own material self-interests. The author stresses that when Democratics shy away from conflict, voters instinctively detect weakness; therefore he recommends that Democrats cede nothing and go after issues that many voters tend to perceive as Republican. To that end, Mr. Westen offers a series of principled narratives on contentious issues such as abortion, affirmative action, gay rights and gun control that he believes could easily help the Democrats gain majority support by activating the American voter's sense of fairness, freedom and equality of opportunity. While perhaps not fully convincing on all subjects, Mr. Westen amply demonstrates that a coherent and inspirational counternarrative is possible.

Unfortunately, this otherwise excellent book succumbs to a transparent attempt at self-promotion by forcing readers to go to the author's website to read the footnotes. Boo! Yet despite this minor deficiency, I highly recommend this timely and fascinating book to everyone.

11 people found this helpful

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Timothy Griffin

Compelling but Depressing in a Way

Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2010

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This book is another of those cases where you read something outside your expertise and you're essentially at the mercy of the author and the quality of his scholarship, although Westin has the "ring" of authenticity in his presentation. Especially interesting was the explanation of "neural networks"--how people's allegiances are won or lost on crucial political issues that are attached to deep-seated sentiments about patriotism, family, etc., as well as "mortality salience" in shaping voting behavior: When we viscerally contemplate the possibility of death we think (very often dysfunctionally) conservative, and Republicans have smashed the left with this on foreign and crime policy for decades. (Among Westin's excellent examples are Willie Horton, Iraq, and the PATRIOT Act.)

As a left-of-center academic trained to argue a point rationally I struggled--just as Westin says Democrats do--with the overall thesis that the American electorate has to be approached at the emotional level--something Republicans do with innate effectiveness and sincerity as most of their leaders these days lack the capacity or inclination for rational thought.

But at the same time it was resonant. When trying to argue issues like global warming or foreign policy with the "emotional right" you quickly realize that facts are irrelevant to these people, and that building centrist coalitions by appealing to emotion, as Westin argues we must, is imperative.

Sigh.

13 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

K. Petersen

Emotional Politics Explained

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 4, 2016

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The sub-title of this book is, 'The role of emotion in deciding the fate of the nation' and, this perhaps sums up the main point of this work better than the actual title.

It is, of course, a very valid point that politicians need to engage their emotions in an election. Whilst the public will say that facts are the main requirement, the truth is that we lead busy lives and the general public do not have the time, or frankly the inclination, to study all the issues. If something is having a direct effect, at the moment, then one is in tune, otherwise, the politician needs to convince us that he/she is 'one of us'. In Great Britain, this has been done by Nigel Farage, and in the US by Mr Trump. It takes very little study to realise that both are the ultimate establishment figures and yet, our desire to believe otherwise has seen them through.

Drew Weston does not advocate these false sentiments, but suggests that true feelings are vital. There is much to be learned from this book but, one must remember that, under the archaic systems, of both countries, the colour of your money is a better indicator of success.

2 people found this helpful

M. McManus

Important insights and theories applicable to all political campaigning

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2007

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The book is written by a Democrat party strategist and qualified experimental psychologist, who believes that style often wins over substance in political campaigns. The central claim of the book is that voters react more to emotional appeals and rousing speeches than they do to reason, logic and statistics. The author argues that even if a candidate is superior in logic and reason, he will still lose if he faces a charismatic opponent who knows how to work an audience and make powerful emotional appeals.

One useful feature of the book is how the author provides transcripts of US Presidential debates, and pin points the moment at which the debate "turned", usually as the result of a witty put down, or rousing response. He then suggests how this could have been counter attacked by the candidate, providing examples that are truly fiendish in their ability to have trounced the opponent had they been employed by the actual candidate. He also deconstructs famous TV commercials and party political broadcasts and shows the psychological and emotional persuasion that was being employed, often subliminally.

The author also describes how certain emotional appeals will be more effective in some demographic populations than others, and suggests how a candidate can often win in areas his party would not be expected to do well in by adopting a message that plays on the emotions and passions of the target voters, thus by passing their usual psychological defences against a party/candidate they may have a reflexive initial dislike of.

The book does have one or two weaknesses. Perhaps the biggest potential weakness for the UK reader is the fact the book deals solely with US politics, and there may be some issues that are either irrelevant and/or not of interests to British political strategists. This US bias also means that there are a few instances where he quotes events that the UK reader would not know the cultural and media background to, whereas this would be common knowledge to the US reader.

This book is a must read for political campaigners, whatever their political allegiance. It will be interesting to see if the tactics and philosophy in this book are employed during the 2008 Presidential election.

24 people found this helpful

KAY

WORTH READING MORE THAN ONCE

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 24, 2013

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This was bought as a gift for a friend who is a candidate for a local election. He found it covered the points in which he was interested and had a host of other information which will be helpful for his future political aspirations. Is taking the book on holiday to read again so it must be good!

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Politics from a different angle.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 12, 2016

Verified Purchase

The book, published in 2007, deals with the way we make up our minds which way to vote. It has given me new insights. Neither its age nor its US focus detract from its relevance to a UK reader in 2016.
It's a dense but highly rewarding read for anyone interested in the political process.

Swavik Dittmer

As expected

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2018

Verified Purchase

As expected

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