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Gender and Electoral Behavior

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The Palgrave Handbook of Women’s Political Rights

Part of the book series: Gender and Politics ((GAP))

Abstract

Kittilson examines the general contours of men and women’s electoral participation and voting preferences in the post-World War II era through the theoretical lens of the “gender gap.” She provides an overview of gender gaps in voter participation and vote preferences around the world, focusing on cross-national and cross-temporal variations. Although early research was largely limited to the USA and Western Europe, more recent literature examines Eastern and Central Europe, Latin America, and Africa. Overall, gender differences in voter participation have narrowed in recent decades, such that today women are as likely as men to cast a ballot on election day. At the same time, gaps in vote choice have reversed direction: Whereas women tended to vote more conservatively than men, they now vote more progressively.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Politics and Global Studies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Miki Caul Kittilson

Authors
  1. Miki Caul Kittilson
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Correspondence to Miki Caul Kittilson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    Susan Franceschet

  2. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Mona Lena Krook

  3. McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Netina Tan

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Kittilson, M.C. (2019). Gender and Electoral Behavior. In: Franceschet, S., Krook, M.L., Tan, N. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Women’s Political Rights. Gender and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59074-9_2

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