Do Voters Support a Female President? Evidence from a List Experiment

Abstract

Public opinion polls indicate that a significant portion of the American public would be willing to vote for a qualified female presidential candidate. However, directly asking this question may be subject to social desirability bias. We conducted a list experiment during the 2024 U.S. presidential election in which a female candidate had a real opportunity to be elected president. Our findings reveal that 16% of the population expresses discomfort about the prospect of a female president. Furthermore, we find that this result is consistent across demographic groups. These results underscore the continued presence of gender-based biases in American political attitudes.