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A List experiment into support for a female, Muslim Prime Minister

Gender
Islam
Electoral Behaviour
Experimental Design
Daphne van der Pas
University of Amsterdam
Susan Banducci
University of Exeter
Daphne van der Pas
University of Amsterdam

Tuesday 14:00 - 15:30 CEST (09/07/2024) Building: Technicum 2, Floor: 3, Room: Auditorium F

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Abstract

List experiments have documented that a significant minority of voters in the US opposes electing a woman as president. We extend this line of research to a new context, the Netherlands, and moreover, study intersectional bias against women political leaders. Employing a pre-registered list experiment that circumvents social desirability bias, we study how Dutch voters feel about the prospect of 1) a female Prime Minister, 2) a female Muslim Prime Minister, and 3) a female Muslim Prime Minister in a Hijab. We find that -contrary to in the US- voters support the idea of a female Prime Minster. However, we also find widespread opposition to a female Muslim leader, among around 30% of the Dutch electorate. This opposition is largest among right-wing populist voters, but also present among mainstream (left) parties. We discuss the implications for democracy.