Stereotypes and scandals: Politician gender and public judgments about scandal in Mexico

This article examines how politician gender shapes voter judgments about political scandal in Mexico. We test the hypothesis that individuals discount or disbelieve scandals when their content contradicts gender stereotypes. In a survey experiment, we varied the type of scandal and the gender of politician facing misconduct allegations. Respondents were more favorable toward female politicians accused of stereotype-incongruent behaviors. Further, benevolent sexists—those who idealize women as uniquely pure—were especially likely to discount stereotype-incongruent scandals. These findings elucidate the role of gender stereotypes in shaping judgments about politicians’ fitness for office.