What Women Want (in Government)

The midterm elections are over, leaving pundits and policy wonks alike to decode the messages voters were sending when they cast their votes. Though women are less likely than men to commit to voting or to label the midterms as critical, women turned out at the polls in larger numbers than men this year, just as they did in 2008. If politicians want to appeal to this voting bloc, they should pay attention to what women voters want.

An October Bloomberg National Poll gave us a few interesting findings about which issues were most important to women. The poll found that women were more likely than men to believe that they would be able to retire on time, despite the recent economic recession. Women were also more likely to alter their spending practices in response to the poor economy. More women than men named unemployment as a primary national concern. Women were less concerned about the national budget deficit and more optimistic about the economy’s ability to bounce back.

Women were less likely than men to support repealing the health care reform legislation and were also less likely to support former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in a hypothetical presidential race against President Barack Obama. Women rated Obama’s performance more favorably than men did and were less supportive of Republican efforts to extend President George W. Bush’s tax cuts and freeze or cut government spending. Women were less likely than men to support tea party-backed Republican candidates such as Sharron Angle, who lost her Nevada senatorial race, or South Carolina Governor-elect Nikki Haley. These attitudes were reflected in women’s voting behaviors on Election Day.

Participants in an Elect Her–Campus Women Win event at Loyola University

It is crucial for women’s voices to be heard in the government. That’s why AAUW staff and volunteers have been hard at work on efforts like the Elect Her initiative, a program designed to narrow the longstanding gender leadership gap in this country by encouraging women to run for political office. We need more women in office and more politicians who promote women’s issues.

What do you think women voters want? Do these poll results reflect your motivations for voting?

This blog post was written by Public Policy Fellow Emily Pfefer.