Gender leadership stereotypes in Netflix political dramas: A quantitative content analysis of female political authority representation

This article examines the representation of female political leadership in Netflix original political dramas through quantitative content analysis of four central characters: Claire Underwood ( House of Cards [2013–18]), Queen Elizabeth II ( The Crown [2016–23]), Birgitte Nyborg ( Borgen [2010–22]) and Kate Wyler ( The Diplomat [2023–present]). Using automated sentiment analysis and stereotype classification algorithms, the research reveals significant patterns in how streaming platforms construct female political authority. Results demonstrate a predominance of the Maternal Nurturer archetype (50 per cent of characters), alongside the emergence of a Professional Expert archetype that is prominently featured in recent productions. American characters exhibit marked divergence, with Claire Underwood displaying the highest Iron Lady stereotype scores (75.76) and a negative sentiment polarity (−0.089). At the same time, Kate Wyler demonstrates strong Professional Expert characteristics (62.0) with a positive sentiment polarity (0.334). European characters maintain positive sentiment orientation (0.36–0.45) aligned with collaborative leadership representations. These findings suggest that, despite global distribution, distinct cultural frameworks persist in Netflix’s construction of female political authority, with recent productions introducing competence-based representations that potentially expand available leadership models. The research contributes to an understanding of how transnational media platforms balance global reach and local cultural specificity in their representation of women’s leadership in politics.