How Sports Determine Elections

Cases of human irrationality are manifold, but Wired Science has found a new one: Do the outcomes of local sporting events influence voters during political elections? Yes, two studies say. “Whether politicians win or lose may come down to how local athletes play the game. When local football and basketball teams were victorious, voters were more pleased with elected officials, a study appearing online July 6 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds. The capricious link between sports teams and politicians’ performance is a clear example of how irrelevant events can shape important judgments.”