| Abstract: | Women are less represented in prestigious national political offices than they are in state and local offices. How this underrepresentation may be related to perceived characteristics of office and candidate are explored in the two studies described here. In Study 1, the masculinity/femininity of local, state, and national offices was analyzed; all levels of office were rated as more masculine than feminine. In Study 2, the sex as well as the gender role of a hypothetical presidential candidate was varied. Masculine and male candidates were evaluated as being more competent on presidential tasks such as dealing with terrorism; feminine and female candidates were rated higher on tasks such as solving problems in our educational system. Men, regardless of gender role, were perceived as being more likely to win a presidential election, and masculine tasks were evaluated as being more important than feminine presidential tasks. Implications for future female politicians are discussed. |
