Gender played a notable role in shaping voter behavior during the recent US presidential election. The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade brought reproductive rights to the forefront, prompting discussions on the implications of restrictive abortion policies.
Reports of women facing challenges in accessing pregnancy-related healthcare further highlighted the issue. Meanwhile, younger voters on platforms like TikTok revisited Donald Trump’s 2016 remarks, sparking conversations about their potential impact on voter perceptions.
Despite these dynamics, Harris’s support among women did not meet expectations. Analysts suggest her campaign struggled to match the levels of support achieved by previous Democratic candidates, raising questions about the influence of gender and identity on voter preferences.
Gender identity and negative campaigning
While Harris avoided leaning into identity politics, Trump’s campaign adopted a different approach. Advertisements attacking Harris’s positions on gender-ideology issues, including transgender rights, resonated with conservative voters.
A post-election Cygnal poll commissioned by the conservative American Principles Project found that these attacks helped sway voters towards Trump, confirming a broader trend: Republicans used gender identity issues to energize their base.
A new study by the PsyLab team at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan provides deeper insights into how populist voters react to political attacks. It highlights a strong interplay between gender, populism, and political communication.
Populism and voter reactions
Populist movements globally have increasingly relied on hostile rhetoric, framing elections as battles between “pure” ordinary citizens and a “corrupt” elite. This study highlights how populist attitudes amplify gendered responses to political messaging.
Researchers conducted an experiment where participants were introduced to fictional male and female candidates for local office. After reading a neutral initial description of the candidate, participants read negative attacks on them that targeted their morality lines such as alleged dishonesty or questioned their competence like a lack of expertise.
Populist attitudes shaped how participants reacted to these attacks. Key among the findings where how people reacted to:
Morality-focused attacks on female candidates, such as accusations of dishonesty, disproportionately negatively impacted hypothetical female candidates among populist voters. This reaction reflects entrenched stereotypes associating women with moral and nurturing qualities. Deviations from these expectations triggered harsher judgements.
Attack on competence, such as claims of unpreparedness, were more damaging to male candidates. Men are often stereotyped as assertive and capable, making competence-related criticisms more impactful.
However, across genders, morality attacks had a stronger effect on voter evaluations than competence-related critiques. This suggests trustworthiness remains a priority for voters, regardless of any candidates identity.
Implications for campaign strategy
The study underscore how populist voters rely on gender stereotypes as shortcuts for evaluating candidates. These biases are independent of participants’ sexism levels, indicating that populist attitudes alone drive such judgements.
For political strategists, these findings present both risks and opportunities. Negative attacks tailored to a candidate's gender can have a significant impact, particularly among populist-leaning voters.
A morality-focused attack on a female candidate might resonate strongly but risks backfiring if perceived as excessively harsh or unfair. Emphasizing competence in male candidates could protect them against criticisms related to professionalism.
The research also raises concerns about the broader impact of populism on political representation. As populist movements gain momentum, its reliance on simplistic, black-and-white narratives may reinforce societal biases, making it harder for women to ascend to leadership roles.
Understanding populism
The focus of this research was Italy, where populist rhetoric has dominated recent elections. However, its findings could resonate in other democracies facing similar dynamics. The interplay of populism, negativity, and gender stereotypes will likely vary across cultural contexts, but the underlying mechanisms remain familiar.
As populism reshapes democracies, understanding its psychological underpinnings is critical for fostering fairer political systems. This study sheds light on the complex relationship between populist attitudes, gender norms, and political communication, offering valuable lessons for candidates navigating increasingly polarized landscapes.
By addressing these biases and crafting more inclusive campaigns, political leaders can better respond to the challenges of contemporary electoral politics.
(The author is a professor of Social Psychology at the Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Milan, where she also directs the Psychology, Law and Policy Lab (PsyLab). She teaches Political Psychology, Social Psychology, and Psychology of Food and Lifestyles. This article was originally published under Creative Commons by 360info)
