The Image of Gender and Political Leadership

Reviews / Votes

In their innovative study, Taylor-Robinson and Geva leverage survey experiments with young adults from eight democracies across the globe to demonstrate how mental templates of leadership have transformed to be more inclusive of women candidates. This novel research challenges conventional wisdom about preferences for male candidates, showing that women fit the leadership image held by most young adults. * Tiffany D. Barnes, Professor of Political Science, University of Kentucky * Taylor-Robinson and Geva's ambitious, collaborative research suggests that young people largely view women as leaders-across posts and in stereotypically masculine and feminine policy areas. Their edited volume questions conventional wisdom about the role gender stereotypes now play in politics and sets the stage for future research on this important topic. * Diana O'Brien, Professor of Political Science, Washington University in Saint Louis * How much do young adults use gender stereotypes in evaluating political candidates? Taylor-Robinson and Geva's study shows that across culturally diverse democracies, candidates' sex, compared to information about candidates' parties, tends to have little impact on assessments of those running for office. However, notable exceptions remain. Anyone curious about voter decision-making and the psychology of gender should read this ambitious, beautifully cohesive volume. * Catherine Reyes-Housholder, Assistant Professor, Instituto de Ciencia Politica, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile * This outstanding collection provides important, cross-national insight into how young people assess women's ability to govern. Through parallel experiments in eight countries, Taylor-Robinson and Geva offer new wisdom into how the presence of women in government is changing who young people view as fit to lead; this is an invaluable text for growing our understanding of modern responses to women in power. * Melody Valdini, Associate Professor of Political Science, Portland State University *