Why are American (and Canadian) women rejecting democracy? Mark Setzler and Alixandra B. Yanus High Point University Presented at the Midwestern Political Science Association Meeting Chicago, April 5, 2019

What do we already know? What don’t we know? Support for democracy is in decline across the advanced industrial democracies (AIDs), with parties and politicians challenging democratic norms and institutions Some groups are less supportive, the young in particular Little is known about mass support for democracy among women in the AIDs. Cross-national surveys on the AIDs do not have the battery of items regularly used to study support for democracy in developing country settings.

How do we measure The rejection of democracy? Survey data are from the Americasbarometer, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017 Sample sizes = 750 to 1500 (some items have split samples). All analyses take into account complex survey design and recommended weights. The rejection of democracy is operationalized in three ways: (1) Rejection of democracy as the best type of government (2) Rejection of political liberties for governmental opponents (3) Support for executive and military coups Composite measures are used for the dependent variables; not all years have all questions for both countries

share of women vs. men who Think democracy not best form of government

share of women vs. men who reject gov. critics’ political liberties

share of women vs. men who support executive & military coups

Our three composite measures of rejecting democracy (T-Tests)

What can explain why women reject democracy? Lower civic capital typically equates to lower support for democracy, and US women score lower than men on many measures People are more satisfied with democracy when these systems deliver better material goods for their citizens, and women lag behind men in various types of economic outcomes Dissatisfaction with patriarchal political institutions? Government in the US and Canada under-represents women at all levels Key other differences: Generational experiences, minority women and the double bind, ideology, religiosity

Gender gaps in key variables (T-Tests)

Think democracy not best form of government Change in Probability as variables go from Min to max values (Logistic Regression)

Conclusions The gender gap in democracy is consistent across two very different societies and time, and this isn’t just a rejection of democracy in name only The gender gap in support for democracy—especially among younger women—is striking when one considers women’s gains in social, economic, and political power over the last several decades On the whole, social capital and generation are the main determinants of why women reject democracy; political and economic dissatisfaction are not major factors Despite the reality of persistent economic and political structural discrimination, women largely seem to be rejecting democracy for the same reasons that men do rather than gender-unique reasons

SUPPLEMENTAL SLIDES FOR Q&A

Disapprove of govt. critics’ political liberties Change in Probability as variables go from Min to max values (Logistic Regression)

Think executive & military coups can be justified Change in Probability as variables go from Min to max values (Logistic Regression)