Browsing by Author "Pascu-Lindner, Andra Diana"

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    The Effect of Gender and Gender Stereotypes on Voter Evaluations of Complex Coalitional Environments
    (2022-09-22) Pascu-Lindner, Andra Diana; Stevenson, Randolph T
    This dissertation examines the impact of gender and gender stereotypes on voters' evaluations of high-information political environments. I first contend that there is an independent effect of Prime Minister gender on voter expectations of government formation outcomes -- and that government type and ideology will interact with the gender of the Prime Minister in meaningful ways. Using an experimental approach, I do not find systematic evidence to support the notion that Prime Minister gender is an important heuristic that voters rely on when forming expectations of future electoral outcomes. These findings -- despite refuting the theoretical expectations that I initially develop, have positive normative implications. This study reveals that voters hold accurate beliefs regarding the determinants of government participation and are able to assess a cabinets' chances of formation reasonably. Additionally, it suggests that male and female Prime Ministers are largely perceived as equally likely to be successful in forming a government. At the highest echelons of political power in coalition systems in Europe, it does not appear that female contenders for the position of Prime Minister suffer as a result of entrenched gender stereotypes on the part of voters.