Sex and Gender in the 2016 Presidential Election

In order to understand the motivations for and implications of Hillary Clinton's historic run for the White House- and her subsequent defeat-the authors explore sexism and gender bias in U.S. political and social culture.

While there is some indication that overt sexism toward women in politics is declining, whether this is true for women who run for the highest office in American politics remains relatively unknown. Hillary Clinton's historic run as the 2016 Democratic nominee, however, allows scholars and journalists to contextualize decades of scholarship on sex, gender, and the American presidency.

In Sex and Gender in the 2016 Presidential Election, the authors, all experts on gender in politics, analyze the nature of gender in public opinion, media coverage, social media, and culture during the 2016 presidential election. They assess whether conventional expectations and theories hold up in today's sociopolitical climate. Moreover, they consider how Clinton's foray into relatively uncharted territory might redirect the political field-and its implications for women with political ambitions-going forward.


About the Author

Caroline Heldman is associate professor of politics at Occidental College in Los Angeles and principal researcher for the Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media, USA.

Meredith Conroy is assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at California State University, San Bernardino, USA.

Alissa R. Ackerman is associate professor in the Social Work and Criminal Justice Program at the University of Washington, Tacoma, and a criminal justice policy researcher.