Jon Miles
Miles Research
15045 Eastvale Rd.
Poway, CA 92064
858-679-8505
jon@milesresearch.com
October 5, 2000
For Immediate Release:

SUPER-IQ GROUP CALLS FOR LESS GOVERNMENT

What are the politics of the super-intelligent? A nationwide poll just taken among members of the Triple Nine Society (TNS), a worldwide super-high IQ group, shows the surprising result that their views on most issues are closer to libertarian than to either Democratic or Republican positions.
Membership in this group requires a documented IQ score in the top one-tenth of one percent of the general population, corresponding to an IQ of approximately 150 or higher. Only 5% of those who qualify for Mensa, the better-known IQ society, have IQs high enough for admission to TNS. 
Most of the poll's 95 questions asked for a rating from 1 to 5, to show the preferred degree of government involvement, funding and control in a wide range of social and commercial issues. Other items asked for a ranking of alternative reforms. The questions were sent to 357 members, with answers returned by 57 of the 310 U.S. members.
The poll shows that people with very high intelligence have a strong preference for minimal restrictions on such activities as gambling (56%), prostitution (60%), pornography (77%), and use of alcohol (66%), tobacco (66%), and marijuana (71%). A clear preference (80%) was shown for legalization of illicit drugs, with some controls over use, as is currently the case with alcohol and tobacco.
The current income tax was ranked last among five methods of taxation. A national sales tax was ranked first, followed by a flat tax, a value-added tax, and a simplified version of the present tax system.
Respondents expressed a desire for minimum subsidies in most commercial and personal areas, supporting moderate to generous funding only in basic scientific and medical research.
A public health care system that provides for the poor and the elderly was favored by a majority ranging from 67% to 74%, and doctor-assisted suicide was found acceptable by 76% of the respondents. An overwhelming 95% agreed that abortion should be legally available, with 49% opposing government restrictions of any kind.
In a ranking of the seven initial presidential candidates by intelligence, the conservative Alan Keyes was perceived as the most intelligent, followed by Bill Bradley, Steve Forbes, John McCain, Al Gore, and Pat Buchanan, with the Republican candidate, George Bush, ranked seventh.
A detailed presentation of these poll results, including survey questions, percentages, and graphs, can be found on the Internet at www.milesresearch.com/tns/. 
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