Women and Party Affiliation: Gender Gaps and Demographic Cleavages
Keywords: gender, women, voting behavior, party support, party affiliation, women’s rights, women’s issues, reproductive rights, “War on Women”
Description: Women consistently vote both in greater numbers and as a higher percentage of eligible voters than men, making them an attractive demographic for politicians. However, women more consistently support the Democratic Party than the Republican, for numerous reasons and with some notable exceptions.
Key Points:
- Women are both a larger segment of the eligible voting population and turnout in greater numbers than men
- Both political parties specifically target female voters given their greater impact in national-level elections, particularly presidential races
- Polling frequently finds women prioritize different electoral issues than men
- Despite efforts to sway female voters, there is a consistent gender gap in support for the parties, with women more likely to support the Democrats
- However, there are some notable exceptions, suggestion that socioeconomic factors and race still have a large effect on party affliation and support
Much like otherhistorically marginalized groups, the voting behavior of women is worthy of examination due to the historical factors that shaped and developed it, and until only relatively recently, prohibited it. The 19th amendment, which enshrines women’s right to vote in the Constitution, was finally ratified in 1920, just under a century ago. Prior to this, women in many states were prohibited from voting, and decades of activism preceded their success[1].
(Source:Center for Women and American Politics at Rutgers University)
Since the addition of the 19th amendment, women have become a powerful force in electoral politics. Most recently, women have become an attractive target for politicians, as there are both more eligible women voters in total and there is a higher turnout rate among women than men[2].
Despite efforts by both parties, women have consistently supported the Democratic Party in greater numbers than the Republican Party, this gender gap by party persists across all age groups, and among all women support for Democrats is greater than support for Republicans, 41% to 32%[3]. This support suggests a crosscutting cleavage along gender lines, which frequently, though not always, trumps other socioeconomic issues or racial and ethnic identities.
So-called “women’s issues” are frequently seen as the cause for disproportionate support among women for Democrats, who favor protecting or expanding reproductive rights and access, women’s health, ending violence against women, and ensuring fair pay and economic justice for women[4]. Health care issues achieved particular prominence in the debate, passage, and implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which added regulations to increase access and coverage of contraceptives, as well as reducing disproportionate health care and insurance costs for women.
(Source: Gallup Polling, 2009)
This issue, in particular, serves as a useful example of the issues that underpin debates regarding women’s right or women’s issues. In the 2012 presidential election, polling found that voters were split by gender on the issues they prioritized.[5] Women voters indicated they were most concerned about health care, gas prices, and unemployment, while male voters prioritized the Federal debt and deficit over gas prices, followed by health care. Consistently polling shows female voters are often focused on economic issues, such as unemployment, which women prioritized over issues relating to the Federal debt or international affairs, while men ranked both as more important than unemployment.
Since 2012 there has been little evidence that the Democrat campaign rhetoric of a Republican “War on Women” has been an effective tool. This was meant to be illustrative of Republican’s unpopular (with female voters) positions on reproductive rights, care, and access. Early during the 2014 midterm campaign, there were signs Democrats sought to reintroduce the phrase to assist their electoral chances, but they were badly defeated in the midterm elections, and some pundits have asserted that they relied too heavily on efforts to motivate female voters with this rhetoric[6].
Research also suggests that although there is greater support among women for Democrats overall, key demographic groups of women can be targeted with great success for Republicans. First, “Soccer Moms” became a terms to describe middle class, largely white, mothers who were considered a sizeable swing voter bloc. Harried by the demands of active children, maintaining a household while working out of the home, and concerned with the economy and suburban issues, “soccer moms” were targeted by both President Bill Clinton’s reelection team and challenger Senator Bob Dole[7]. The term was later reinvigorated to describe “security moms” who were primarily concerned with ensuring the safety of their children from terrorist attacks, theoretically an issue that would more favorably dispose them to Republicans, though evidence supporting this is limited.
However, as consistent as the gender gap has been, both in party support and voter turnout, gender does not appear to be a complete cross-cutting cleavage. Republicans have, since 2008, had greater electoral success at the national level with white and married women. In 2012, Mitt Romney lost the women’s vote overall 44 to 55%, but won among white women (56 – 42%) and married women (53 – 46%)[8]. This suggests that while economic concerns or health care are important race and socioeconomic status exert a strong influence on which of the parties and politicians women are likely to perceive as best representing them on these issues.
In the most recent midterm elections in 2014, the gender gap supporting Democrats continued, with women overall supporting Democrats 52 – 48%, a 10 point advantage among womencompared to male support for Democrats (42%). This gap continues, despite evidence that suggests Democrats were not particularly successful in campaigning on women’s issues. However, the successes of Mitt Romney and Republicans in carrying selected racial and demographic segments of women voters imply that gender is not the strongest predictor of party affiliation or support, but rather requires consideration of numerous other factors.
Works Cited
19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, National Archives, Retrieved March 1,
2015,
Gender Differences and Voter Turnout. (2005). Center for Women and Politics,
Rutgers University. Retrieved from:
Newport, Frank. (June 12, 2009). Women More Likely to Be Democrats,
Regardless of Age. Gallup Polling. Retrieved from:
National Organization for Women. (n.d.) Issues, retrieved from:
Democrats on Women’s Issues. (n.d.) Printable Fact Sheet, retrieved from:
Page, Susan. (April 2, 2012). Swing States Poll: A shift by women puts Obama
in the lead. USA Today. Retrieved from:
McTague, John and Deckman, Melissa. (November 26, 2014). Why the ‘War on
Women’ failed. The Washington Post. Retrieved from:
Weisberg, Jacob. (October 12, 1996). Soccer Mom Nonsense. Slate.
Retrieved from:
Rubin, Jennifer. (May 29, 2013). The GOP’s problem with women voters. The
Washington Post. Retrieved from:
Online Resources
The National Organization for Women
Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University
Gallup Polling
The Democratic Party
The Republican Party
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[1]National Archives Online: 19th Amendment
[2]Center for American Women and Politics (Rutgers University): Gender Differences in Voter Turnout
[3]Gallup: Women More Likely to Be Democrats, Regardless of Age (June 12, 2009)
[4]National Organization of Women website: Issues
The Democratic Party Fact-Sheet on Women’s Issues
[5]USA Today: “A widening gender gap boosts Obama over Romney” (April 2, 2012)
[6]The Washington Post: Why the “War on Women” Failed in 2014 (November 26, 2014)
[7]Slate: Soccer Mom Nonsense (October 12, 1996)
[8]Washington Post: “The GOP’s problem with women voters” (May 29, 2013)