The IQ Myth in Politics: Republicans vs Democrats

Intelligence or lack of it is a question not easily answered even by IQ tests. All of us are intelligent in some things but can only rely on our ignorance in other areas of human circumstances. No matter how intelligent we may be, intelligence has its limits whenever knowledge, memory, or talent are inadequate. The problems come when we try and replace acquired but limited knowledge with our egos.

Though IQ tests indicate problem-solving abilities as one measure of intelligence, neither party is generally more intelligent in all areas of human endeavors. IQ tests are generally flawed as an indicator of multiple kinds of intelligence because they only address our problem-solving abilities, which is not the sum total of human intelligence. Sorry you can’t score political points with this question.

Challenging Intellectual Stereotypes

WTF are you implying people have low IQs if they vote for one political party over another! You are some piece of work!

Definitely Democrats because they are soooo much more wonderful than Republicans, although a large number are like idiot savants that know everything but can do very little when they are actually in charge. The ascent of the political prostitute to the position of head of a meat puppet will be a revelation. How can this bunch of clowns screw us up any more than they already have? Our only hope is now that Barack Hussein is in total control, he will direct [it] better than Biden. Could hardly be worse.

IQ and Human Values

IQ tests do NOT measure one’s sense of HUMANITY! Elon Musk is perhaps the best example of being SMART on an IQ test but devoid of human values, having been raised with apartheid values as a descendant of South African whites.

The problem with Trump is that he has failed ALL tests for being smart or human let alone those of religiosity. How could that be measured with any real degree of accuracy?

The Education Divide and Political Party Affiliation

This is a loaded question. There are plenty of high IQ Republicans and Democrats. I don’t think it is wise to dismiss members of either party as unintelligent. That said, the level of education is very much related to party affiliation. The more educated you are, the more likely you are to vote for Democrats.

The right wing is trying to work this distinction. They deride expertise as though knowing more disqualifies your opinions. JD Vance during the debate said that we should not trust experts but should instead rely on common sense. By common sense, I think he meant what JD Vance thinks.

I believe that opinions should be based on facts and that knowing things helps form sound opinions. The education divide is significant, and Republicans willfully seek to take advantage of it. They say things that aren’t true and expect people to believe them based on common sense, which is often just confirmation bias.

So while IQ tests may tell us something about a person's problem-solving abilities, they cannot accurately measure the breadth of human intelligence, nor can they reflect the diverse array of values, cultures, and experiences that shape our beliefs and choices in a political context.