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{{Short description|Book by Avi Tuschman}}{{Infobox book
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| image = File:Avi_TuschmanOur Political Nature.jpg▼
{{Article for deletion/dated|page=Avi Tuschman|timestamp=20150516072929|year=2015|month=May|day=16|substed=yes|help=off}}
|birth_name author = Avi Tuschman▼
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|prizes pub_date = 2013▼
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| publisher = [[Prometheus Books]]
{{COI|date=May 2015}}
| language = English
{{Infobox scientist
▲|image = File:Avi_Tuschman.jpg
|image_size = 230px
|caption = Tuschman in 2013
▲|birth_name = Avi Tuschman
|birth_date =
|birth_place =
|nationality = American
|spouse=
|field = [[Evolutionary anthropology]]
|work_institution =
|alma_mater = Stanford University, B.A.<br> Stanford University, Ph.D.
|doctoral_advisor =
|doctoral_students =
|thesis_title =
|thesis_year =
|thesis_url =
|known_for = ''Our Political Nature: The Evolutionary Origins of What Divides Us''
|influences =
▲|prizes =
|website = [http://www.OurPoliticalNature.com www.OurPoliticalNature.com]
}}
'''Avi Tuschman''' is an American evolutionary anthropologist and author.
 
{{Italic title}}
==Early Life and Education==
'''''Our Political Nature: The Evolutionary Origins of What Divides Us''''' is a 2013 book by Avi Tuschman. It proposed an evolutionary theory of human political orientation.<ref name="Fair Observer" /> The book theorizes that political leanings are evolutionary adaptations that arise primarily from three clusters of measurable personality traits: [[tribalism]], tolerance of [[Social inequality|inequality]], and perceptions of [[human nature]].<ref name="Fair Observer">{{cite news|last1=Tuschman|first1=Avi|title=The science of political orientation|url=http://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/science-political-orientation/|accessdate=22 April 2015|work=Fair Observer|date=29 September 2013}}</ref><ref name="NYTcolumn">{{cite news|last1=Edsall|first1=Thomas|title=How did conservatives get this radical?|url=http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/24/how-did-conservatives-get-this-radical/|accessdate=22 April 2015|work=New York Times|date=24 September 2013}}</ref> As evidence, ''Our Political Nature'' synthesizes studies from the fields of political science, genetics, neuroscience, and primatology.<ref name=Muhammad/> The book also offers a psychological explanation for why economic stress tends to broaden the divide between political factions.<ref name="validates UN claim too">{{cite news|first=Matthew |last=Cook|title=Interview: Avi Tuschman on "Our Political Nature"|url=http://gppreview.com/2014/03/03/interview-avi-tuschman-on-our-political-nature/|accessdate=22 April 2015|work=Georgetown Public Policy Review|publisher=Georgetown University|date=3 March 2014}}</ref>
Tuschman attended high school at Menlo School in California.<ref name="early life details">{{cite news|last1=Baer|first1=Sheri|title=Avi Tuschman returns home to Menlo Park to shed insight into Our Political Nature|url=http://inmenlo.com/2013/10/22/avi-tuschman-returns-home-to-menlo-park-to-shed-insight-into-our-political-nature/|accessdate=22 April 2015|work=InMenlo|date=22 October 2013}}</ref> He attended [[Stanford University]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.stanford.edu/news/2002/june19/firestone-619.html | title=Fifteen students honored with Golden Medal; 27 receive Firestones | publisher=Standford University | work=Stanford Report | date=19 June 2002 | accessdate=27 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford20020614-01.2.53.1# | title=2002 undergraduate awards | publisher=Stanford University | work=Stanford Daily | accessdate=27 April 2015}}</ref> He graduated in 2002 and relocated to Peru for his first job after college.<ref name="early life details"/> Tuschman returned to Stanford in 2004 for a Ph.D. in evolutionary anthropology.▼
 
==CareerReception==
''OurChris PoliticalMooney Nature'' has been extensively reviewed.<ref name=Mulanovich>{{cite news|last1=Mulanovich|first1=Gonzago Zeguerra|title=De los conservadores a los socialistas: ¿Cuál es la psicología de las ideologías?|url=http://semanaeconomica.com/article/cultura-y-estilo/estilo-de-vida/136619-conservadores-y-socialistas-cual-es-la-psicologia-de-las-ideologias/|accessdate=18 May 2015|publisher=Semana Economica|date=6 May 2014}}</ref> in ''[[The Washington Monthly]]'' credited the book with "a feat that those of us monitoring the emerging science of politics have long been waiting for—explainingexplaining the now well-documented psychological, biological, and genetic differences between liberals and conservatives with reference to human evolution and the differential strategies of mate choice and resource allocation that have been forced on us by the pressures of surviving and reproducing on a quite dangerous planet."<ref name="Washington Monthly">{{cite news|last1=Mooney|first1=Chris|title=The Origin of Ideology |url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/march_april_may_2014/on_political_books/the_origin_of_ideology049295.php?page=all|accessdate=22 April 2015 |work=Washington Monthly|date=May 2014|archive-date=9 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409194444/http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/march_april_may_2014/on_political_books/the_origin_of_ideology049295.php?page=all|url-status=dead}}</ref> John R. Hibbing in ''[[Political Science Quarterly]]'' reported that although the book was one of several published at the same time dealing with psychological, biological and evolutionary bases of political beliefs, it "makes a unique and important contribution to the field" and noted that with regard to its discussion of [[evolution]] in the context of politics, "as selection pressures are relaxed, it may be possible to push it too far."<ref name="Hibbing review">{{cite news|last1=Hibbing|first1=John|title=Our Political Nature: The Evolutionary Origins of What Divides Us|url=http://www.psqonline.org/article.cfm?IDArticle=19304|accessdate=22 April 2015|work=Political Science Quarterly|date=Fall 2014}}</ref> An unattributed review in ''[[The Economist]]'' described Tuschman as a [[biological determinist]], foundand thatsaid the book doesdid not explain the unpredictability of voters in the middle ground, and saidcommenting: "the author’s efforts to use “hard science” to illuminate partisanship often run aground.... The political world Mr Tuschman describes tends to be remarkably binary and easily classifiable."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Economist.]]|date= AugAugust 24th24, 2013 [http|url=https://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21583976-evolutionary-roots-partisanship-gut/|title= From the gut: The evolutionary roots of partisanship}}</ref> In ''Forbes'', Cedric Muhammad noted that the book was generally rejected by conservatives and embraced by liberals, criticized its discussion of [[ethnocentrism]], yet said it makes "a compelling case that we are hard-wired to be liberal or conservative by nature, environment and adaptation."<ref name=Muhammad>{{cite web|first=Cedric|last=Muhammad|work=Forbes.com|date= October 29, 2013|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/cedricmuhammad/2013/10/29/michael-smerconish-and-pete-dominick-make-me-uncomfortable-what-centrist-independents-reveal-about-liberals-and-conservatives/|title= Michael Smerconish And Pete Dominick Make Me Uncomfortable: What Centrist-Independents Reveal About Liberals And Conservatives}}</ref>▼
In Peru, Tuschman worked as a speech write and political adviser to President [[Alejandro Toledo]], and served as international projects coordinator for President Toledo’s Global Center for Development and Democracy.<ref name=Matanovic>{{cite news|last1=Matanovic|first1=Sonja|title=Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo joins SAIS|url=http://archive.gazette.jhu.edu/2009/09/21/former-peruvian-president-alejandro-toledo-joins-sais/|accessdate=18 May 2015|publisher=The JHU Gazette|date=21 September 2009}}</ref>
<ref name="early life details" /><ref name=Saiz>{{cite news|last1=Saiz|first1=Eva|title=“En América Latina la clase media ha hecho que se encoja el espectro político”|url=http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2013/10/05/actualidad/1380978589_342496.html|accessdate=18 May 2015|publisher=El Pais|date=5 October 2013}}</ref><ref name="senior writer in Peru">{{cite news|last1=Alvarez|first1=Joshua|title=Flying in the face of consensus|url=http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2014/08/22/flying-in-the-face-of-consensus|accessdate=22 April 2015|work=Palo Alto Weekly|date=22 August 2014}}</ref> <ref name=Matanovic>{{cite news|last1=Matanovic|first1=Sonja|title=Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo joins SAIS|url=http://archive.gazette.jhu.edu/2009/09/21/former-peruvian-president-alejandro-toledo-joins-sais/|accessdate=18 May 2015|publisher=The JHU Gazette|date=21 September 2009}}</ref> According to [[WHYY]], in addition to being toledo's senior writer, Tuschman was Toledo's youngest adviser.<ref name=WHYY>{{cite news|title=Understanding “Our Political Nature” (Audio)|url=http://whyy.org/cms/voicesinthefamily/understanding-our-political-nature/|accessdate=18 May 2015|publisher=WHYY}}</ref>
 
==Author==
===''Our Political Nature''===
▲Avi Tuschman is an American evolutionary anthropologist and author. Tuschman attended high school at Menlo School in California.<ref name="early life details">{{cite news|last1=Baer|first1=Sheri|title=Avi Tuschman returns home to Menlo Park to shed insight into Our Political Nature|url=http://inmenlo.com/2013/10/22/avi-tuschman-returns-home-to-menlo-park-to-shed-insight-into-our-political-nature/|accessdate=22 April 2015|work=InMenlo|date=22 October 2013}}</ref> He attended [[Stanford University]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.stanford.edu/news/2002/june19/firestone-619.html | title=Fifteen students honored with Golden Medal; 27 receive Firestones | publisher=StandfordStanford University | work=Stanford Report | date=19 June 2002 | accessdate=27 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford20020614-01.2.53.1# | title=2002 undergraduate awards | publisher=Stanford University | work=Stanford Daily | accessdate=27 April 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He graduated in 2002 and relocated to Peru for his first job after college.<ref name="early life details"/> Tuschman later returned to Stanford in 2004 for a Ph.D. in evolutionary anthropology.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://las.stanford.edu/events/author-and-stanford-alum-dr-avi-tuschman-our-political-nature-economics-and-biology-political|title=Author and Stanford Alum, Dr. Avi Tuschman: "Our Political Nature: The Economics and Biology of Political Spectrums in Latin America and Beyond."|work=stanford.edu|access-date=2015-04-24|archive-date=2015-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518072042/https://las.stanford.edu/events/author-and-stanford-alum-dr-avi-tuschman-our-political-nature-economics-and-biology-political|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Tuschman's book, ''Our Political Nature: The Evolutionary Origins of What Divides Us'' (published by Prometheus / Random House, 2013) proposes an evolutionary theory of human political orientation.<ref name="Fair Observer" />
 
''OurIn PoliticalPeru, Nature''Tuschman theorizesworked thatas politicala leaningsspeech arewriter evolutionaryand adaptationspolitical thatadviser ariseto primarilyPresident from[[Alejandro threeToledo]], clustersand ofserved measurableas personalityinternational traits:projects coordinator tribalism,for toleranceToledo’s Global ofCenter inequality,for Development and perceptions of human natureDemocracy.<ref name="Fair Observer"Matanovic>{{cite news|last1=TuschmanMatanovic|first1=AviSonja|title=TheFormer sciencePeruvian ofPresident politicalAlejandro Toledo joins orientationSAIS|url=http://wwwarchive.fairobservergazette.comjhu.edu/region2009/north_america09/science21/former-politicalperuvian-orientationpresident-alejandro-toledo-joins-sais/|accessdate=2218 AprilMay 2015|workpublisher=FairThe JHU ObserverGazette|date=2921 September 20132009}}</ref><ref name="NYTcolumnearly life details" /><ref name=Saiz>{{cite news|last1=EdsallSaiz|first1=ThomasEva|title=How"En didAmérica conservativesLatina getla thisclase radical?media ha hecho que se encoja el espectro político"|url=http://opinionatorinternacional.blogs.nytimeselpais.com/internacional/2013/0910/2405/how-did-conservatives-get-this-radicalactualidad/1380978589_342496.html|accessdate=2218 AprilMay 2015|workpublisher=NewEl York TimesPais|date=245 SeptemberOctober 2013}}</ref> As evidence, ''Our Political Nature'' synthesizes studies from the fields of political science, genetics, neuroscience, and primatology, including data on evolutionary fitness from Icelandic, Danish, Turkish, and worldwide populations.{{cn|date=May 2015}} The book also offers a psychological explanation for why economic stress tends to broaden the divide between political factions.<ref name="validatessenior UNwriter claimin tooPeru">{{cite news|last1=Alvarez|first1=Joshua|title=Interview:Flying Aviin Tuschmanthe onface “Ourof Political Nature”consensus|url=http://gppreviewwww.paloaltoonline.com/news/2014/0308/0322/interviewflying-aviin-tuschmanthe-onface-ourof-political-nature/consensus|accessdate=22 April 2015|work=GeorgetownPalo PublicAlto Policy Review|publisher=Georgetown UniversityWeekly|date=322 MarchAugust 2014}}</ref>
 
== References ==▼
Several writers and political scientists have related the book to ongoing political conflicts. In [[The Huffington Post]], David Miles said that Tuschman's book speaks directly to the forces at play in the Scottish independence referendum.<ref name=Scottish>{{cite news|last1=Miles|first1=David|title=Scottish independence and our political natures|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-miles/scottish-independence-and_3_b_5825762.html|accessdate=22 April 2015|work=Huffington Post}}</ref> National Public Radio cited the book as challenging the myth that wealth correlates in a meaningful way with political orientation.<ref name="npr coverage">{{cite news|last1=Weeks|first1=Linton|title=Wrong! 3 recent reports that may surprise you|url=http://www.npr.org/blogs/theprotojournalist/2014/10/09/354522798/wrong-3-recent-reports-that-may-surprise-you?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=storiesfromnpr|accessdate=23 April 2015|work=NPR.org|publisher=National Public Radio|date=9 October 2014}}</ref> ''New York Natives'' found ''Our Political Nature'' interesting in the context of the 2013 United States federal government shut down.<ref name="NY natives">{{cite news|title=We're reading|url=http://newyorknatives.com/native-approved-political-wiring-rhymes-by-pusha-spaders-blacklist-mobile-notes-a-darling-cafe-and-looking-good-with-marc-jacobs/#.Uss_15EbHOd|accessdate=23 April 2015|work=New York Natives|date=4 October 2013}}</ref>
{{Reflist|30em}}▼
 
[[Category:2013 non-fiction books]]
▲''Our Political Nature'' has been extensively reviewed.<ref name=Mulanovich>{{cite news|last1=Mulanovich|first1=Gonzago Zeguerra|title=De los conservadores a los socialistas: ¿Cuál es la psicología de las ideologías?|url=http://semanaeconomica.com/article/cultura-y-estilo/estilo-de-vida/136619-conservadores-y-socialistas-cual-es-la-psicologia-de-las-ideologias/|accessdate=18 May 2015|publisher=Semana Economica|date=6 May 2014}}</ref> ''[[The Washington Monthly]]'' credited the book with "a feat that those of us monitoring the emerging science of politics have long been waiting for—explaining the now well-documented psychological, biological, and genetic differences between liberals and conservatives with reference to human evolution and the differential strategies of mate choice and resource allocation that have been forced on us by the pressures of surviving and reproducing on a quite dangerous planet."<ref name="Washington Monthly">{{cite news|last1=Mooney|first1=Chris|title=The Origin of Ideology |url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/march_april_may_2014/on_political_books/the_origin_of_ideology049295.php?page=all|accessdate=22 April 2015 |work=Washington Monthly|date=May 2014}}</ref> ''[[Political Science Quarterly]]'' reported that the book "makes a unique and important contribution to the field."<ref name="Hibbing review">{{cite news|last1=Hibbing|first1=John|title=Our Political Nature: The Evolutionary Origins of What Divides Us|url=http://www.psqonline.org/article.cfm?IDArticle=19304|accessdate=22 April 2015|work=Political Science Quarterly|date=Fall 2014}}</ref> ''[[The Economist]]'' described Tuschman as a [[biological determinist]], found that book does not explain the unpredictability of voters in the middle ground, and said: "the author’s efforts to use “hard science” to illuminate partisanship often run aground....The political world Mr Tuschman describes tends to be remarkably binary and easily classifiable."<ref>The Economist. Aug 24th 2013 [http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21583976-evolutionary-roots-partisanship-gut/ The evolutionary roots of partisanship]</ref>
[[Category:AmericanPolitical science writersbooks]]▼
 
[[Category:Prometheus Books books]]
▲== References ==
▲{{Reflist}}
 
[[Category:1979 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
▲[[Category:American science writers]]
[[Category:Evolutionary psychologists]]
[[Category:Stanford University alumni]]
[[Category:Evolutionary biologists]]
[[Category:Human evolution theorists]]
[[Category:Psychology writers]]
[[Category:American scientists]]
[[Category:American political scientists]]
[[Category:American political writers]]
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