The Clinton Effect? The (Non)Impact of a High‐Profile Candidate on Gender Stereotypes

Abstract

Objectives. Does the presence of a particular high-profile female politician influence how citizens think about women in politics generally? Methods. We randomly assigned respondents in four statewide polls either to receive a cue about Hillary Clinton followed by a battery of questions about women in politics generally, or to hear only the women in politics battery. Results. Drawing on scholarship from social psychology about the role of exemplars in auto evaluation, our results indicate that most individuals still hold gendered perceptions toward women in public office, but also that pushing the Clinton button first neither diminishes nor aggravates gendered expectations broadly. This is true even among males and Republicans, whom past scholarship suggests would be most susceptible to exemplar effects, and regardless of whether respondents were primed to think about Clinton as a diplomat or a candidate. Conclusions. Our findings challenge the view that specific high-profile female politicians will influence public perception of women's leadership qualifications generally.