“MIT political scientists demonstrate how much candidate appearances affect election outcomes, globally.” Good looks seem to hold worldly appeal despite cultural differences. “When you vote in an election, your choice is surely not influenced by anything as superficial as a candidate’s looks, right? Right? New research from MIT political scientists shows that the appearances of politicians do indeed strongly influence voters — and that people around the world have similar ideas about what a good politician looks like. While few political observers would be surprised to learn that good looks earn votes, the MIT researchers have quantified a phenomenon that is more often assumed to be true than rigorously measured.”