This chapter examines the complex and inevitable relationship between politics and brain science. This chapter argues that neuroscience is inherently political because it investigates the organ that generates human thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors yet should remain nonpartisan in its methods and findings. This chapter traces historical patterns of political co-optation of brain research. These range from phrenology’s use to justify racial hierarchies and gender discrimination to Cold War neuroscience serving as an ideological battleground between competing political systems. Contemporary political debates reveal how neuroscience has become entangled in disputes over human nature, with conservatives emphasizing biological constraints while progressives highlight environmental plasticity, creating “motivated neuroscientific reasoning” where identical studies receive different evaluations based on political alignment rather than methodological rigor. The analysis demonstrates how political climates profoundly shape research trajectories through funding mechanisms, with national research agendas reflecting political priorities around economic competitiveness and security concerns rather than purely scientific considerations. The communication of neuroscience findings faces systematic distortion in polarized media environments, where technical nuance is stripped away and researchers increasingly engage in “anticipatory self-constraint” to avoid political weaponization of their work. International variations reveal distinctive approaches across political systems, from democratic pluralistic stakeholder engagement to authoritarian strategic development and control, creating a fragmented global governance landscape. “Rather than attempting to separate neuroscience from politics entirely, this chapter advocates for “democratic neuropolitics” and “reflexive governance.” These are sophisticated approaches that acknowledge legitimate political dimensions while maintaining scientific integrity. They require coordinated efforts at individual, institutional, and international levels to navigate the complex terrain where brain science intersects with fundamental questions about human nature, social organization, and technological governance.