Sexism as a Predictor of Political Attitudes and Voting Behavior: A Systematic Review

Abstract The election of Donald Trump in 2016 inspired sudden interest in the association between voters’ sexism and voting behavior. Existing research shows that sexism may be a stronger predictor of political attitudes and voting behavior than a voter’s gender. To what extent do the findings from the US presidential elections apply to other contexts and research questions? To answer this question, we present a systematic review of studies focusing on sexism as a predictor of political attitudes and voting behavior. In two databases (Scopus and Web of Science), we identify 97 relevant studies, including 42 on the 2016 US presidential elections. The review shows that particularly modern and hostile sexism played a role in Trump’s election. However, few other research questions have been answered with similar certainty. Our review discovers gaps in the literature and proposes further directions for this growing research field. To enable future comparative research, we discuss best practices for measuring sexism and show the variety of ways in which sexism is operationalized.