Beer question

The beer question is a thought experiment in politics that attempts to measure authenticity and likability in politicians by asking or polling voters about which politicians they would prefer to drink beer with, as in, spending casual time "hanging out" with. The question was polled during the 2000 United States presidential election. The question has been criticized for the gender bias implicit in referencing a predominantly male drinking culture and some have questioned the relevance of likability in choosing candidates for public office.

Synopsis

The beer question, often utilized in opinion polling, asks respondents a simple question, generally along the lines of "With which candidate would you rather have a beer?" The question is generally thought to provide information on how voters perceive some combination of likability and authenticity in politicians, with Erica J. Seifert describing it in her book The Politics of Authenticity in Presidential Campaigns, 1976-2008 as "[combining] a battery of character and personality questions typically asked by academic and professional polling organizations".

While an op-ed in The Washington Post argues that the beer question is a "shorthand" for likability, Seth Stevenson with Slate claims that the question better measures authenticity, citing Donald Trump as an example of someone who would be authentic, and desirable to have a beer with, but not likable.

The thought experiment is also found in hiring scenarios, dubbed the beer test, which Carolyn Betts of Mashable described as "In a nutshell, it's when a hiring manager envisions the company team sharing a drink with a potential candidate – and if all goes well, in his or her head, then maybe it's time to shake hands and sign the contract".

Examples

George W. Bush

A Samuel Adams/Roper Starch poll in the run-up to the 2000 United States presidential election—described sarcastically as "very scientific" by Seifert in her book—found that respondents would generally prefer to have a beer with George W. Bush, the Republican candidate, rather than with his Democratic opponent Al Gore.

A Zogby/Williams poll conducted in 2004 found that 57 percent of swing voters would rather have a drink with Bush than with his opponent in the 2004 United States presidential election, John Kerry.

2016 presidential election

During the 2016 United States presidential election, significant attention was given to the beer question and how it related to the candidates. While Donald Trump, the eventual Republican nominee and victor, was generally viewed favorably with regard to the beer question, other candidates were thought to be less authentic in this respect, particularly Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.