Political Gender Stereotypes in Parallel: Are Elites or Citizens More Prejudiced?

Abstract Research shows that many voters ascribe stereotypical traits and issue competences to male and female politicians – such as viewing women as more compassionate and honest, and men as more competent and decisive – and use these perceptions when evaluating candidates. However, little is known about whether politicians themselves also hold such gender stereotypes. This paper uses data from both a candidate and a citizen survey conducted as part of the Swiss Election Study (SELECTS) in 2019 and 2023 to compare the prevalence of gender stereotypes among political elites and citizens, as well as their individual‐level correlates. Our findings show that such stereotypes are not only present among politicians but are even more widespread than among ordinary citizens. The correlates of gender stereotypes are not uniform: they differ between political elites and citizens, vary across trait‐ and issue‐based stereotypes, and affect male‐ and female‐typed stereotypes in distinct ways.