Presentation by Dr. Kevin Lasher
Gender and Political
Participation
Gender and Turnout
• Female turnout lagged behind
male turnout for decades after
1920
• Concept of politics as a “man’s
world” did not end immediately
• Husbands did not want their
wives voting
• 10-20% gap in turnout through
1950s
Gender and Turnout: Why Change?
• 1920 was distant past
• Women’s movement, feminism,
working women, evolution or
women’s role in American
• Women and higher education
(56% of college students)
Other Forms of
Political
Participation
Voted in election * Gender Crosstabulation
Voted in
election
Total
Voted
Count
Did not vote
Count
Count
Gender
Male
Female
393
421
74.6%
78.0%
134
119
25.4%
22.0%
527
540
100.0%
100.0%
Total
814
76.3%
253
23.7%
1067
100.0%
Campaign contributions * Gender Crosstabulation
Campaign contributions
Total
Yes
Count
No
Count
Count
Gender
Male
Female
80
86
15.2%
16.0%
447
453
84.8%
84.0%
527
539
100.0%
100.0%
Total
166
15.6%
900
84.4%
1066
100.0%
Frequency of political discussion * Gender Crosstabulation
Frequency of political
discussion
Total
A Lot
Count
Not Much
Count
Count
Gender
Male
Female
235
239
44.8%
44.6%
289
297
55.2%
55.4%
524
536
100.0%
100.0%
Total
474
44.7%
586
55.3%
1060
100.0%
Campaign interest * Gender Crosstabulation
Campaign
interest
Total
Very interested
Count
Somewhat interested
Count
Not much interested
Count
Count
Gender
Male
Female
284
257
53.9%
47.7%
192
232
36.4%
43.0%
51
50
9.7%
9.3%
527
539
100.0%
100.0%
Total
541
50.8%
424
39.8%
101
9.5%
1066
100.0%
Frequency of following politics * Gender Crosstabulation
Frequency
of following
politics
Total
Most of the time
Count
Some of the time
Count
Very little
Count
Count
Gender
Male
Female
159
114
30.2%
21.2%
209
228
39.7%
42.5%
158
195
30.0%
36.3%
526
537
100.0%
100.0%
Total
273
25.7%
437
41.1%
353
33.2%
1063
100.0%
Attempts to influence others * Gender Crosstabulation
Attempts to
influence
others
Total
Frequently
Count
Occasionally
Count
Never
Count
Count
Gender
Male
Female
89
63
17.0%
11.7%
156
162
29.8%
30.0%
279
315
53.2%
58.3%
524
540
100.0%
100.0%
Total
152
14.3%
318
29.9%
594
55.8%
1064
100.0%
Attention paid to campaign news * Gender Crosstabulation
Attention paid to
campaign news
Total
A Lot
Count
Not Much
Count
Count
Gender
Male
Female
350
323
66.5%
59.9%
176
216
33.5%
40.1%
526
539
100.0%
100.0%
Total
673
63.2%
392
36.8%
1065
100.0%
Viewed campaign information on W eb * Gender Crosstabulation
Viewed campaign
information on Web
Total
Yes
Count
No
Count
Count
Gender
Male
Female
252
227
47.9%
42.0%
274
313
52.1%
58.0%
526
540
100.0%
100.0%
Total
479
44.9%
587
55.1%
1066
100.0%
Listen
radio**Gender
GenderCrosstabulation
Crosstabulation
Votedtointalk
election
Listenin
to talkVotedYes
Voted
radio
election
Novote
Did not
Count
Count
Total
Total
Count
Count
Count
Count
Gender
Gender
Male
Female
Male
Female
261
201
393
421
49.5%
37.3%
74.6%
78.0%
266
338
134
119
50.5%
62.7%
25.4%
22.0%
527
539
527
540
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Total
Total
462
814
43.3%
76.3%
604
253
56.7%
23.7%
1066
1067
100.0%
100.0%
Conclusion
• Women have caught up to and
surpassed men in turnout
• Men have very slight advantage
in certain “other” forms of
participation
• Unlikely to change (except move
toward total “participation
equality”)
Congress
State
Government
Local
Government
What about Running
for Office?
Female Candidates
• Win just as frequently as male candidates
• Raise as much money as male candidates
• Generally accepted by American electorate
• “When women run, women win” (they have
the same advantages/disadvantages as
male candidates)
--- Kathleen Dolan Voting for Women, 2008
Female Candidates
• Women are less likely than men
to consider running for office
• Women are less likely than men to run for
elective office
• Women are less likely than men to be
interested in running for office
• --- Jennifer Lawless and Richard Fox, It
Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don’t Run
for Office, 2005
Female Candidates: Why Fewer?
• Women are less likely to be socialized to
think about politics as a vocation
• Women bear greater responsibility for
family and children
• Women are less likely to be encouraged to
think about running for office by
colleagues, friends, etc.
Female Candidates: Why Fewer?
• Both women and men perceive electoral
bias against women
• Women are less likely to be recruited to run
by parties and interest groups
• Women possess several psychological
attitudes that lead them away from running
for office (less “political ambition”)
• --- Jennifer Lawless and Richard Fox, It
Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don’t Run
for Office, 2005