Self-Confidence and Gender Gaps in Political Interest, Attention, and Efficacy

Abstract

Compared to men, women are less interested in politics, less likely to follow current events, and more pessimistic about their abilities to be influential in politics. I explore the origins of these gender gaps. I argue that feelings of self-confidence serve as a resource that encourages psychological engagement with politics. But because this resource is more likely to be possessed by men than by women, it contributes to gender gaps in political interest, attention to politics, and internal efficacy. By examining surveys of both young people and adults, I demonstrate that gender’s effects on psychological engagement with politics are partially mediated by feelings of self-confidence. While prior studies emphasize the importance of resources like education for cultivating political engagement, I show that self-confidence is an important psychological asset that promotes political interest, attention, and feelings of personal competence in politics.