Chile’s Shift to the Left and the Rise of Women

Abstract In Chile the experiment shows that candidate gender typically is not a strong component of leadership templates for either male or female participants, yet when gender is significant women candidates are favored (to be a deputy and in feminine policy areas). The study also shows that women are evaluated as capable in masculine policy areas. Coalition, in contrast, regularly has a significant effect on candidate evaluations, and coalitions receive higher scores on policies associated with their issue ownership. Findings that women fit the leader image of Chilean urban young adults are notable given the long history of limited election of women to congress, paired with a woman president for eight years. These findings are also important given the context of political protest in the years surrounding the experiment, with protests often having young women as “on the street” leaders.