Gender bias in political candidate evaluation among voters: The role of party support and political gender attitudes

To explain women's underrepresentation in politics, supply-side factors receive much empirical support, emphasizing the low numbers of women on ballot. Whether demand from voters also contributes to problem is less clear, however, as both observational and experimental research shows that average are not likely vote for candidates. We argue actually do play a role, although all an equal extent. More precisely, we expect gender bias electorate be conditional upon partisanship propose two mechanisms through which this materializes: political attitudes and/or stereotypes. Although conditionality voters' based convincingly shown exist US, known about it European context, while its multi-party systems lend themselves well more detailed differentiation between party families. right, especially populist radical biased favor men politicians, left, green politicians. test our hypotheses with large-scale vignette experiment ( N = 13,489) Netherlands, show there indeed (slight) preference representatives among Green voters, clear candidates right parties. Moderate left-wing or right-wing no bias. Thus, parties have electoral incentives hesitant promoting most other face risk putting forth