Barriers to the Ballot: Unpacking the Paradox of Female Underrepresentation in Politics
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Political Science
Minor
Legal Studies
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Brittany Wood
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Women continue to be underrepresented in American politics and despite intuition, extant scholarship ultimately finds that women have an electoral advantage compared to men. So, what is keeping women out of office? This paper seeks to explore the extent to which gender socialization affects the relationship between gender and political ambition. Studying women’s underrepresentation in politics is of importance because it could help democratic legitimacy and equality as well as addressing systematic barriers. I examine these dynamics using the 2024 American National Election Survey (ANES) dataset utilizing survey questions centered on understanding the obstacles causing many qualified women to turn their backs on political candidacy. I expect to find that there is a significant difference in political ambition levels between men and women. I also expect to find that gender socialization has a significant impact on the relationship between gender and political ambition levels, with women who experienced more traditional gender socialization as an adolescent will have lower political ambition levels than men who experienced more traditional gender socialization. Findings from this project will help better understand the dearth of female representation in American politics.
Fall Scholars Week 2025
Political Science and Sociology Department Panel
Other Scholars Week Event
POL 499 Session
Barriers to the Ballot: Unpacking the Paradox of Female Underrepresentation in Politics
Women continue to be underrepresented in American politics and despite intuition, extant scholarship ultimately finds that women have an electoral advantage compared to men. So, what is keeping women out of office? This paper seeks to explore the extent to which gender socialization affects the relationship between gender and political ambition. Studying women’s underrepresentation in politics is of importance because it could help democratic legitimacy and equality as well as addressing systematic barriers. I examine these dynamics using the 2024 American National Election Survey (ANES) dataset utilizing survey questions centered on understanding the obstacles causing many qualified women to turn their backs on political candidacy. I expect to find that there is a significant difference in political ambition levels between men and women. I also expect to find that gender socialization has a significant impact on the relationship between gender and political ambition levels, with women who experienced more traditional gender socialization as an adolescent will have lower political ambition levels than men who experienced more traditional gender socialization. Findings from this project will help better understand the dearth of female representation in American politics.