Paper Summary:

This paper starts off discussing the importance of public opinion in a democratic society. It then discusses how statistical principles of voter polls offer a scientific method of exploring how the public views candidates and their issues. According to the paper, a candidate's previous political and work experience, education, race, religion, and gender, may influence how he or she is received by the voters. Sexual equality, in particular, is often discussed in connection with American politics. This paper reviews how U.S. public opinion views sexual equality as a value and whether America's attitude toward gender and equality has truly changed, and if so, how it has changed.

From the Paper:

"True or not, these beliefs reflect real issues for America's two major parties. A party that is perceived as being unfavorable to women's rights i.e. does not support sexual equality, may not receive as many votes from women as a party that is seen as being strong in its support of sexual equality. On the other hand, many voters might associate a push for sexual equality with the denigration and abandonment of traditional values, in this case symbolized by traditional, "separate but equal" gender roles. Public opinion polls help both Republicans and Democrats to tailor their message to the electorate at large. On the most basic level, the question of sexual equality in American politics centers on the gender of potential candidates. The higher the office aspired to, the more urgent the need to answer the questions: all other things being the same, would Democrats vote for Hillary Clinton over a male challenger, or would Republican voters choose Condoleeza Rice over an equally-qualified Republican man? Would voters of either party choose a woman over a man?"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Burstein, P. (2002). 5 Public Opinion and Congressional Action on Labor Market Opportunities, 1942-2000. In Navigating Public Opinion: Polls, Policy, and the Future of American Democracy, Manza, J., Cook, F. L., & Page, B. I. (Eds.) (pp. 86-105). New York: Oxford University Press.
• Carli, L. L., & Eagly, A. H. (2001). Gender, Hierarchy, and Leadership: An Introduction. Journal of Social Issues, 57(4), 629+.
• Huddy, L. (2002). 15 Crossing the Methodological and Disciplinary Divide: Political Stability, Political Change, and Research Method. In Political Psychology, Monroe, K. R. (Ed.) (pp. 271-286). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Kennedy, C. (2001). Is America Ready for a Woman President? Is the Pope Protestant? Does a Bear Live in a City?. White House Studies, 1(3), 311+.
• Oskamp, S., & Schultz, P. W. (2004). Attitudes and Opinions. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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