Overview

In this era in which more women are running for public office—and when there is increased activism among women—understanding gender differences on political issues has become critical. In her cogent study, Mary-Kate Lizotte argues that assessing the gender gap in public support for policies through a values lens provides insight into American politics today. There is ample evidence that men and women differ in their value endorsements—even when taking into account factors such as education, class, race, income, and party identification. In Gender Differences in Public Opinion, Lizotte utilizes nationally representative data, mainly from the American National Election Study, to study these gender gaps, the explanatory power of values, and the political consequences of these differences. She examines the gender differences in several policy areas such as equal rights, gun control, the death penalty, and the environment, as well as social welfare issues. The result is an insightful and revealing study of how men and women vary in their policy positions and political attitudes.

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9781439916094

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Reviews

Mary-Kate Lizotte is reinvigorating a conversation that has been muted for too long. The first 'gender gap,' brought to light by Kathy Frankovic after the 1980 elections, is approaching its 40th birthday, but it, and its consequences, are still not easily understood. Lizotte's thoughtful examination of pro-social values as a possible driver of the gender gap in voting behavior and policy preferences could not be a more timely contribution to our understanding of sex, gender, and politics in these challenging times. -Sue Tolleson-Rinehart, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and author of Gender Consciousness and Politics In Gender Differences in Public Opinion, Mary-Kate Lizotte has produced a clear, thorough, and original examination of the roots of the gender gap in American public opinion. Her consideration of the role of values-egalitarianism, universalism, and benevolence-in the policy positions of women and men offers a fresh take on the conventional wisdom around the gender gap. She considers a wide range of important domestic and international issues, identifying when and why women and men take distinctive positions, and, just as importantly, when they don't. Scholars of public opinion, policy, and gender will learn a lot from this interesting work. -Kathleen Dolan, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, and author of When Does Gender Matter?: Women Candidates and Gender Stereotypes in American Elections

Author Information

Mary-Kate Lizotte is an Associate Professor of Political Science in the Department of Social Sciences at Augusta University.

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