Candidate gender and assessments of senate candidates

Objective. This research examines whether evidence of gender stereotypes is present in citizens' evaluations of candidates for the United States Senat e. Methods. I analyze citizens' likes and dislikes toward male and female c andidates for the U.S. Senate from 1988 through 1992. Results. Some evidenc e consistent with the findings from experimental studies on the application of gender stereotypes is found, but differences are also present. Specific ally, female candidates enjoyed an advantage for their ability to handle so cial issues and leadership, but suffered a disadvantage with regard to thei r competence. Neither gender held an advantage with respect to ethics. More over, social issues are a more important criterion for candidate evaluation than security issues. A gendered pattern of candidate assessment is more e vident among those who are highly educated. Conclusions. These findings sug gest that variation in citizens' appraisals of candidates on the basis of g ender may result from a gendered pattern of campaign messages and media cov erage.