Women's

Political

Behavior

How do men and women differ on public policy issues?

A recent study by the Pew Research Center found a gender gap on some of the problems that Congress and the president should prioritize this year. You can read the full report here.

What else is important to understand about women and politics?*

  • Women turn out to vote in elections at higher rates than men

  • Although females are more reluctant to run for political offices, when they do run, they are just as likely as men to win

  • Women's views about politics remain more stable while men's are more likely to fluctuate

  • Women are more likely to support social welfare and distributive policies

  • Women in legislative positions tend to interact more with constituents and work more collaboratively when solving issues

*The source for these items: J. Cherie Strachan, Lori M. Poloni-Staudinger, Shannon Jenkins, Candice D. Ortbals, (2020) Why don't women rule the world? : understanding women's civic and political choices, SAGE, CQ Press.