Gender differences in Assessments of Party Leaders

TY - JOUR

T1 - Gender differences in Assessments of Party Leaders

AU - Kosiara-Pedersen, Karina

AU - Hansen, Kasper Møller

PY - 2015/3/1

Y1 - 2015/3/1

N2 - Is there a relationship between party leader gender and voters' assessments? The answer is 'yes' according to theses on gender identity and stereotyping. A voter survey during the 2011 Danish general election allows for a comprehensive analysis of a less likely case with four male and four female party leaders. Female party leaders are assessed more positively by female voters than male voters both in regard to general party leader sympathy and assessment of specific characteristics, whereas it is not the case that male party leaders are assessed more positively by male voters than female voters. The impact of gender does not increase with age in fact, the opposite is the case among men since younger male voters have less sympathy for female party leaders. Furthermore, there is no support for the expectation that voters with more education or with higher levels of political interest and knowledge are more positive towards party leaders of their own gender than voters with less education. Also, the relationship between gender and voter assessment is not stronger prior to an election campaign than immediately after an election. Hence, in sum, gender identity does not seem to require a higher level of political sophistication, nor does it decrease with higher levels of information.

AB - Is there a relationship between party leader gender and voters' assessments? The answer is 'yes' according to theses on gender identity and stereotyping. A voter survey during the 2011 Danish general election allows for a comprehensive analysis of a less likely case with four male and four female party leaders. Female party leaders are assessed more positively by female voters than male voters both in regard to general party leader sympathy and assessment of specific characteristics, whereas it is not the case that male party leaders are assessed more positively by male voters than female voters. The impact of gender does not increase with age in fact, the opposite is the case among men since younger male voters have less sympathy for female party leaders. Furthermore, there is no support for the expectation that voters with more education or with higher levels of political interest and knowledge are more positive towards party leaders of their own gender than voters with less education. Also, the relationship between gender and voter assessment is not stronger prior to an election campaign than immediately after an election. Hence, in sum, gender identity does not seem to require a higher level of political sophistication, nor does it decrease with higher levels of information.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - party leders

KW - gender

KW - elections

KW - voters

U2 - 10.1111/1467-9477.12033

DO - 10.1111/1467-9477.12033

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0080-6757

VL - 38

SP - 26

EP - 48

JO - Scandinavian Political Studies

JF - Scandinavian Political Studies

IS - 1

ER -