The gender gap in same-gender voting: The role of context

Giger, Nathalie; Holli, Anne Maria; Lefkofridi, Zoe; Wass, Hanna

doi:10.1016/j.electstud.2014.02.009

Cited by 36 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Less than one-fifth (19.8%) voted for a woman and about a quarter (27.5%) voted for a list. Similar to findings from Finland (Giger et al 2014), male voters were thus far more likely than women to engage in same-sex voting: about one-quarter of female voters cast preferential votes in favor of female candidates, while more than half of male voters voted preferentially for male candidates. The vast majority of women in the electorate thus did not use this option to advance female candidates, although they did so to a greater extent than did men, the majority of who supported male candidates over other possibilities.…”

Section: Exploring Voter Motivationssupporting

confidence: 68%

“…A study of the 2009 parliamentary elections in Indonesia suggests that the presence of female incumbents in political office may lead to a reduction in gender bias on the part of both elites and voters (Shair-Rosenfield 2012). Data from Finnish elections over time indicates, similarly, that as there are more equal numbers of men and women as candidates and elected officials, both male and female voters become more willing to vote for women (Giger et al 2014). Without data from other points in time, it is difficult for us to test this theoryalthough it may help explain the relatively high share of women as both candidates and elected councilors in Denmark.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The blame game: analyzing gender bias in Danish local elections

Kjær

Krook

2019

Politics, Groups, and Identities

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Diagnosing women's under-representation in electoral politics often involves a "blame game," seeking to identify the primary factor responsible for depressing the share of women among candidates as well as elected officials. The Danish electoral systemin which parties present ordered lists of candidates but voters have the option to cast preference votes that can rearrange the list orderprovides an opportunity to assess the relative role of elite versus voter bias in shaping women's electoral fortunes. Using data from local elections in 2009, we find greater evidence for elite bias against women. We also observe, however, that voters do not widely exploit their preference votes. In an original post-election survey, we discover that "candidate gender" is less important for male and female voters than a host of other characteristics when deciding for which candidate to cast a preference vote. The blame game: analyzing gender bias in Danish local elections Women have made major gains in political representation around the world in recent decades, but still constitute a minority of elected officials (Inter-Parliamentary Union 2018). As put in the introduction to this Dialogue, women are 'still not there.' Although some scholars argue that women's under-representation is due to a low supply of women coming forward (Lawless and Fox 2005), a growing consensus in research points to weak demand for female candidates (Krook 2010). On the demand side, however, the relative role of elite versus voter bias in shaping women's electoral fortunes continues to be debated, generating a 'blame game' attributing women's under

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Section: Exploring Voter Motivationssupporting

confidence: 68%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The blame game: analyzing gender bias in Danish local elections

Kjær

Krook

2019

Politics, Groups, and Identities

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“…They have a stronger sense of identity and more to win by getting represented. Erzeel and Caluwaerts (2015), Holli and Wass (2010), and Giger et al (2014) have the same expectation, but surprisingly find the opposite, demonstrating that men are more likely to vote on the basis of gender than women. This finding could be explained by the design they use.…”

Section: Gender Age and Locationmentioning

confidence: 86%

Sharing is caring: the role of voter-candidate similarities in intra-party electoral competition

Erkel

2018

Eur. Pol. Sci. Rev.

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Previous studies have found similarities with presidential candidates or party leaders to be an important factor in explaining voting behaviour. However, with the exception of gender, few studies have structurally studied voter-candidate similarities in intra-party electoral competition. This study investigates the Belgian case and argues that voter-candidate similarities play a role in the decision-making process of citizens when casting preferential votes. Moreover, it investigates whether underrepresented groups, and especially women, are more guided by these voter-candidate similarities than overrepresented groups. To achieve this aim voter and candidate characteristics are modelled simultaneously. This enables an investigation of the decision-making process of voters while taking into account structural inequalities at the supply side. The results demonstrate that citizens are indeed more likely to cast preferential votes for candidates similar to themselves and that these effects are stronger for underrepresented groups. Hence, preferential voting could ultimately pave the way for better descriptive representation.

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“…Previous studies have indicated gender differences in the political behaviour of the electorate. Gender differences in party choice and voting are found both in presidential-style systems such as the United States and in parliamentarian systems allowing the electorate to vote for a specific candidate (Zipp & Plutzer 1985;Huddy & Terkildsen 1993a;Plutzer & Zipp 1996;Sanbonmatsu 2002;Holli & Wass 2010;Giger et al 2014). Gender gaps in voting patterns might result from differences in ideological positions and policy opinions (see, e.g., Togeby 1994;Studlar et al 1998;Inglehart & Norris 2000), perception of sex roles (Hershey 1977(Hershey , 1980, as well as gender identity and gender stereotyping focused upon here.…”

Section: Gender and Party Leadershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Differences in Assessments of Party Leaders

Kosiara‐Pedersen

Møller²

2014

Scand Pol Stud

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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.

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The gender gap in same-gender voting: The role of context

Cited by 36 publications

References 38 publications

The blame game: analyzing gender bias in Danish local elections

The blame game: analyzing gender bias in Danish local elections

Sharing is caring: the role of voter-candidate similarities in intra-party electoral competition

Gender Differences in Assessments of Party Leaders

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