Cynics Were Right: UK MPs Prioritize Power Over Self-Transcendence Values

The article examines why politicians enter public service despite widespread cynicism.

It compares the Basic Human Values of 106 UK Members of Parliament (MPs) with those of unsuccessful parliamentary candidates and citizens from the European Social Survey dataset.

Findings:

• MPs attribute significantly more importance to Self-Transcendence values than do their constituents.
• However, Power values also show strong predictive power for who becomes a candidate.

Methods:

• The study analyzes quantitative data on Basic Human Values collected from both politicians and the public.
• Schwartz's (1992) framework is used to measure these values.

This research suggests that while MPs may possess different value orientations, political candidacy in the UK remains strongly tied to Power motivations.