Work

Stigmatized Campaign Practices and the Gendered Dynamics of Electoral Viability

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: What happens when a traditional source of political capital becomes a health hazard? Stigmatized electoral practices, such as vote buying, are a double-edged sword: While these strategies may signal candidates’ electoral strength, they may also entail reputational costs. In normal times, street campaigns are a non-stigmatized electoral practice. During the Covid-19 pandemic, however, they imposed health risks. Employing data from a national survey experiment conducted in Brazil prior to the 2020 municipal elections ( N = 2025), we extend research on the employment of stigmatized campaigns and the gendered dynamics of electoral viability. We find that voters evaluate candidates who engage in face-to-face activities as less electorally viable and report lower intent to support them. These dynamics do not impact all candidates equally: Voters more harshly punish women candidates who conduct street campaigns than men, leading women to lose the advantage they have over men when both employ non-stigmatized campaign practices.

Source: Journal of Politics in Latin America

DOI: 10.1177/1866802x211058739

Authors: Mariana Borges Martins da Silva, Malu A. C. Gatto

Institutions: University of Oxford, University College London

Language: English

Topic: Gender Politics and Representation

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: Leverhulme Trust, British Academy