Readers reply: Why do people become leftwing or rightwing?

"For me, it was seeing that what was offered (by rightwing parties) was not relevant to where I was at the time as a student. I had no money, no job, no connections and no clue about where I wanted to go with my life. But I did know I didn't want to work in London, wearing formal office attire and being a slave to the nine-to-five grind for the rest of my days. The leftwing parties seemed to offer more inclusion and be more welcoming to ordinary folk like me. So that's where I looked for my political home."

"I think it has more to do with the economy. People are having a hard time finding decent jobs, wages are going down, housing prices are at an all-time high and the right are not going to tax any billionaires because you can always divert attention elsewhere."

"Persuasive evidence gathered over the past few decadesindicates that neurological differences affect political engagement and persuasion, if we take a typical left/right or liberal/conservative approach to political viewpoints. The primary result seems to be that holding rightwing views is associated with strong disgust responses in individuals. What I think is interesting is that, when you compare policies, you tend to find that left and right can have near-identical policy prescriptions. That may be why populist politicians can see short-term success (as they say the things that trigger emotional responses in the audience), and may also be a really good reason for insisting that developing the ability for ratio"

Personal circumstances such as poverty, unemployment and lack of connections push some people toward parties that promise inclusion and practical support. Economic conditions, including job scarcity, falling wages and high housing costs, drive political alignment toward parties perceived as addressing material needs. Family upbringing often transmits values that many retain into adulthood, while some react against parental beliefs and adopt opposing views. Neurological differences influence political engagement and susceptibility to persuasion; for example, stronger disgust responses correlate with rightwing preferences. Emotional triggers and populist rhetoric can produce short-term shifts even when policy prescriptions are similar.

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