Gender, corruption, and presidential politics

This chapter argues that when corruption issues become salient, the role of gender stereotypes in presidential politics is Janus-faced. Associations between women in presidential politics and moral integrity in such contexts may facilitate women’s presidential elections. However, these widespread ideas can also create higher standards, limiting opportunities for women to attain and maintain this power. The chapter illustrates these arguments by drawing on scholarship on women presidential candidates and women presidents in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. The chapter points out that research relies on the assumption that candidate traits matter for how women obtain, maintain, and gain presidential power, both in terms of election victories and approval ratings. Future scholarship may seek to evaluate how much gender stereotypes concerning moral integrity matter to women’s presidential victories in contexts of corruption compared to election fundamentals, such as macroeconomic performance.