These [
http://www.umich.edu/...] findings about the different ways that men and women approach politics will be good for a few hours of banter at your next "Drinking Liberally" session:
ANN ARBOR, Mich.--Men are more likely to find politics exciting while women balance their political interest among several factors, including having a personal stake in government affairs.
"Although we traditionally think of men as more engaged in politics, this study shows that, in fact, men and women may just have different ways of thinking about political interest," said author Debra Horner, a graduate instructor in the University of Michigan Department of Political Science.
More below.
The survey asked participants to rate themselves on a number of questions regarding their political attitudes and participation.
Horner studied responses about interest in government and public affairs, including items pertaining to three categories: a "taste" for politics, which includes those who think their interest in politics is legitimate and entertaining; a sense of stake in political outcomes, which gauges how politics affects one personally; and a desire for oversight of public officials, which involves citizens monitoring what happens in government affairs.
Items that respondents were asked to rate included:
* I find politics exciting.
* I usually enjoy television or newspaper stories about politics and government affairs.
* Good citizens stay informed.
* It's worth the time to keep informed about political issues.
As a woman and an active political player in a state and city dominated by an entrenched "Old Boy Network," I like to think that women bring a different perspective to politics. Many voters seem to share this feeling: When I ran for office in 2001, a lot of people on the campaign trail said, "Good. We need a woman." On the other hand, one man said, "A woman for Mayor? We tried that. It didn't work."
I'm not sure this study hits the nail on the head, however. My gut does not tell me that more men are involved in politics because they find it exciting and entertaining, while women enter the fray because they think political action will affect their interests. In my experience, the Old Boys are involved because they can steer resources toward their friends and interests. That would fit more with Horner's definition of "stake" than "taste," in my mind.
Daily Kos participants are certainly not a representative sample, but feel free to use the comments to indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statistics about gender differences in political attitudes.
When asked a general survey question about interest in politics, about 42 percent of men responded that they are "very interested" in government and public affairs, compared with 34 percent of women. Women are more likely to say that they are only "somewhat interested"--60 percent of female respondents compared with 54 percent of male respondents.