Think You're Attractive? Then Run for Office!

In their new article "Beautiful Politicians" published just last month (a non-subscription draft is available here), Amy King of Oxford and Andrew Leigh of Australian National University pose a provocative question: "Are beautiful politicians more likely to be elected?" Their answer is emphatically yes. Beauty does indeed matter, at least in Australia, which is the site of their fascinating social science study. 

It should perhaps come as no surprise that physical appearance can help candidates close the deal with voters. After all, quite apart from the Australian data, modern American presidential history demonstrates that the taller candidate typically wins. And there is some evidence that beauty matters to the American electorate, too.

So what? Well, if people find you physically attractive, you've got a good chance of winning an electoral contest. It might be worth a shot at a congressional seat--especially given perks like these or those. That's if, of course, you can first raise the $1.1 million or $6.5 million needed to win a House or Senate race, respectively, in the United States.