Abstract

In this study I investigate women’s’ voting behavior in U.S presidential elections. I explore the question: ‘Why do some women not vote for women candidates, regardless of the candidate’s party identification?’. My argument focuses on the ways in which different forms of sexism (Benevolent and Hostile) are internalized by women, pushing them to vote either for or against women who are running for president. I employ the theory of ambivalent sexism to aid in the explanation of women’s’ support of women presidential candidates. My findings suggest that the type of sexism that has a significant relationship on a women’s vote choice flips between the treatment and control groups with both the likeability variable and the vote support variable. This suggests that women with benevolently sexist views are more likely to support a candidate who is a woman, while women with hostilely sexist views are more likely to support a candidate who is not identified as a woman.

Advisor

Muñoz, Avi

Department

Political Science

Disciplines

American Politics

Keywords

Ambivalent Sexism, Womens Voting Behavior, United States Politics

Publication Date

2021

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2021 Katrina Estill Culler