Persuasion and gender: experimental evidence from two political campaigns

Vincenzo Galasso and Tommaso Nannicini

Public Choice, 2025, vol. 203, issue 1, No 9, 183-204

Abstract: Abstract We investigate differential responses by gender to competitive persuasion in political campaigns. We implemented a survey and a field experiment during two mayoral elections in Italy. Eligible voters were exposed to a positive or negative campaign by an opponent. The survey experiment used on-line videos and slogans. The field experiment used door-to-door canvassing. In both experiments, gender differences emerge. Females vote more for the opponent and less for the incumbent when exposed to positive—as opposed to negative—campaigning. Males do the opposite. These differences cannot be explained by gender identification, ideology, or other voters’ observable attributes.

Keywords: Gender differences; Political campaign; Randomized controlled trial; Voting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 J16 M37 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Related works:
Working Paper: Persuasion and Gender: Experimental Evidence from Two Political Campaigns (2016)
Working Paper: Persuasion and Gender: Experimental Evidence from Two Political Campaigns (2016)
Working Paper: Persuasion and Gender: Experimental Evidence from Two Political Campaigns (2016)
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DOI: 10.1007/s11127-024-01192-y

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