Gender, party leaders, and election outcomes in Australia, Britain, and the United States

Abstract

Election outcomes are now, more than at any time in the past, determined by voters' assessments of party leaders. However, despite its potential importance, little is known about the differences in how men and women view political leaders. This article uses recent Australian, British, and U.S. survey data to examine gender differences in the evaluations that voters make of party leaders. The results show that there are comparatively few gender differences in the personal qualities that voters rate as important, with the exception of British Labour's Neil Kinnock, who was rated more highly by men, and Bill Clinton, who was rated more highly by women. However, what gender differences in leader evaluations that do exist are mediated by partisanship and views on economic performance. In both Australia and the United States, gender significantly affects the vote, but in opposite directions. The results suggest that gender may have a more important future role in elections in these three countries.