How Gender Bias Influences Perceptions, Votes in Elections
Originally published by Sara Savat for Washington University in St. Louis
On Jan. 20, 2021, Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice president of the United States — the first woman, the first Black American and the first South Asian American to be elected to this position. Four years later, she hopes to make history again by defeating former President Donald Trump to become the country’s 47th president.
In just the first week, Harris’ campaign raised more than $200 million and registered more than 170,000 new volunteers. But among the biggest hurdles that Harris will have to overcome in her quest to win the election is the gender bias that permeates politics.
Below, Diana Z. O’Brien, the Bela Kornitzer Distinguished Professor of Political Science in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and an expert on gender and politics, discusses the unique challenges facing female politicians, the importance of representation in politics and more.
What are some of the unique challenges that women candidates face?
In the United States, women still face some voter bias. According to the most recent World Values Survey, 15% of American respondents agreed that “men make better political leaders than women do.” Political scientists find that while women candidates win at equal rates to men, they often have to be more qualified to do so.
This voter bias is correlated with partisanship. Democratic voters tend to be more favorable toward women candidates and those who exhibit more stereotypically feminine traits. Conversely, Republican voters exhibit higher levels of sexism and penalize candidates with a “feminine” self-presentation, regardless of the candidate’s sex. Additionally, left-wing voters are more likely to support women with progressive ambition (i.e., seeking higher office) than right-wing voters.
However, women across political parties can face “imputed” or “strategic” discrimination. This means that even if voters do not personally object to women’s leadership, they may still opt for male candidates, fearing that women are less likely to win elections. Vice President Kamala Harris is in a unique position because she did not have to compete in a primary, thereby avoiding this particular challenge.
Beyond hostile sexism, what are some of the less obvious ways that sexism can influence how we view candidates?
Voters with overtly sexist beliefs were already unlikely to vote for Biden. However, even voters who are, in principle, supportive of women’s leadership might struggle with this in practice.
When we think about leadership — particularly in the executive branch — we often associate it with masculine traits such as decisiveness and toughness. This makes it difficult for people to envision women in these roles. Women also face the challenge of needing to demonstrate both warmth and competence simultaneously, a balance that is often difficult to achieve. As a result, while voters may support the idea of women leaders in the abstract, they may find it hard to accept any specific woman as fitting the bill.