The results from a recent Gallup poll show that more Americans accept creationism than do evolution. Among registered Republicans, almost 7 in 10 don't believe in evolution. (via cynical-c)
A paper by two economists tracks politically loaded phrases used by Democrats and Republicans. For instance, the Republicans use "illegal aliens" while the Democrats speak of "veterans health". Full list of loaded phrases is here and the original paper is here.
Political party members' brains get a rush from "ignoring information that's contrary to their point of view". "None of the circuits involved in conscious reasoning were particularly engaged. Essentially, it appears as if partisans twirl the cognitive kaleidoscope until they get the conclusions they want, and then they get massively reinforced for it, with the elimination of negative emotional states and activation of positive ones."
