Education and the Gender Gap in U.S. Presidential Elections. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1152
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| Title: | Education and the Gender Gap in U.S. Presidential Elections. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1152 |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Cameron J. Arnzen (ORCID |
| Source: | Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2025. |
| Availability: | Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 45 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Longitudinal Studies, Voting, Elections, Citizen Participation, Sex, Gender Differences, Educational Attainment, Educational Trends, College Entrance Examinations, College Preparation, Role of Education |
| Geographic Terms: | Massachusetts |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, SAT (College Admission Test), ACT Assessment |
| Abstract: | Women in the United States have outpaced men in both voter participation and educational attainment in recent decades. Since education is closely tied to political participation, we consider these trends in tandem and assess how much of the gender gap in voting is attributable to educational attainment as opposed to cognitive skills, noncognitive skills, college preparation behaviors, and demographics. Using comprehensive educational data from Massachusetts students matched with voter records, we estimate a Blinder-Oaxaca-Kitagawa decomposition to understand how these factors contribute to gender voting differentials. In our data, young women outvote young men by 5.8 percentage points in the first presidential election in which they can vote after having potentially completed college. We find that just under 50 percent of this gap in voting can be explained by differences in educational attainment and civic returns to attainment by gender. If we also consider gender differences in college preparation, we explain two-thirds of the gender gap in voting. These results suggest that a significant portion of the gender gap in voting can be attributed to the rise in women's education. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED678183 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Women in the United States have outpaced men in both voter participation and educational attainment in recent decades. Since education is closely tied to political participation, we consider these trends in tandem and assess how much of the gender gap in voting is attributable to educational attainment as opposed to cognitive skills, noncognitive skills, college preparation behaviors, and demographics. Using comprehensive educational data from Massachusetts students matched with voter records, we estimate a Blinder-Oaxaca-Kitagawa decomposition to understand how these factors contribute to gender voting differentials. In our data, young women outvote young men by 5.8 percentage points in the first presidential election in which they can vote after having potentially completed college. We find that just under 50 percent of this gap in voting can be explained by differences in educational attainment and civic returns to attainment by gender. If we also consider gender differences in college preparation, we explain two-thirds of the gender gap in voting. These results suggest that a significant portion of the gender gap in voting can be attributed to the rise in women's education. |
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