THE GENDER-GAP IN US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS - WHEN - WHY - IMPLICATIONS

Social scientists and political commentators have frequently pointed t o differences between men and women in voting and policy attitudes as evidence of an emerging ''gender gap'' in U.S. politics. Using survey data for 11 elections since 1952, this study develops a systematic ana lysis of the gender gap in presidential elections. The authors find ev idence that women's changing rates of labor force participation explai n the origins of the gender gap. Additional analyses show that attitud es toward social service spending mediate the interrelationship of wom en's labor force participation and vote choice. In the 1992 election, feminist consciousness also emerged as a significant factor shaping wo men's voting behavior.