I just posted this question on facebook. Copying the text here but feel free to contribute there as well.
Is there a way Consciousness Science can contribute to elections and understanding why something works for the public and something else does not?
Obviously social psychology and other disciplines have a say from a competent perspective.
Obviously lies play a great role in campaigns. Why do politicians lie that much and why does this not take them out of the race?
In other social fields, e.g. in business people get fired if they lie. If companies cheat, they get fined etc.
About politics people in general think "it´s a dirty business". This may stop them from being active in a democracy, use their electoral rights etc. In German their is a term called "Politikverdrossenheit" (being tired of politics). These things are reflected by numbers as well.
How many people take part in an election? The numbers are surprisingly low and for instance in Hungary in one important recent issue the government did not get enough voters to participate and even though the result was what they wanted, the European Union did not accept it, because not enough people took part.
Populists take advantage of this situation. But they seem to lie even more than the establishment and get away with it. Can it be be true that large parts of the public do not listen properly?
That would be a field for Consciousness Science to work on.
People may be fed up with lies but still follow pied pipers who lie even worse, just because of their claim that they will finish with what the establishment has been doing.
So can a false promise lead people to close their eyes and perform some kind of selective perception?
They see and hear what they are supposed to see and hear and not what is actually there to be perceived.
If there are certain ways to manipulate the way the public perceives things, we should detect that, research that and come up with solutions how to end such abusive ways that endanger democracy.
Because that is what it does. Lies, manipulation and demagogy undermine what many peoples in the world have fought for: the basic constitutional vision most states are build upon. Any politician that strives for being elected as president, prime minister etc. has to vow on the constitution. What are vows from liars worth?
So it seems to be crucial to bring new elements in to make sure that things chance and we not end up with disasters and lose what democracy has given us.
Just a few points:
1. What is the role of emotions in voter´s decisions?
2. How can politicians make use of such emotional preferences?
3. How do emotions relate to facts, information and reason?
4. How can the best candidate be identified in a very distinct way we make sure other decisions are made the right way?
5. What is the role of modern media?
6. Do they thrive on emotions and succeed to get high attention at the cost of supporting liars, even if they do not want that, just by the way they present news and debates?
7. How does demagogy work?
8. Why are people missing what everybody would not only trust but could take as pillars of democracy?
9.Have our societies lost the ability to create an atmosphere where elders and other people with merits and whose judgement is sound are respected.
10. If such people would be there and speak up against demagogues, would the public still listen at least to them?
I am a father of four and have two grand children, so I cannot sit back and say: Good Luck America, Germany, Hungary... Good luck Earth...
Let us get moving and help ending these schemes that endanger democracy. Let us put a little less effort into neuroscience and a bit more into exploring social consciousness. Let us share what we know...
https://www.facebook.com/hans.ricke.1?fref=nf
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