Revisiting Bedrock Values: The Stability and Predictive Power of the Society Works Best Index

In this research note, we report a reevaluation of the argument of Smith et al. (2011) in Political Psychology that the Society Works Best Index captures a stable attitude that is strongly influenced by biological factors. Smith et al. (2011) argue that there is a set of fundamental or bedrock values that predict ideology and that are strongly influenced by genetics. These values are considered universal, stable and less susceptible to environmental changes. Smith et al. (2011) propose a scale to measure such values: the Society Works Best Index (SWBI). This is an important contribution, but the SWBI requires further evaluation. Using novel panel data, we evaluate the measure, improve on the empirical application with a national panel, and suggest improvements in the scale. We find that the SWBI is no more stable than other measures of ideology and that the observed changes are attributed to measurement error and environmental factors. Furthermore, like many other political attitudes, its predictive power is mediated by levels of political interest.