Candidate and Voter Perceptions of the Importance of Monetary Handouts in Malawi

• In Event: Gender and Candidate Selection

Abstract

The prevalence of money in politics is often used to explain the underrepresentation of women. However, there is still much to be understood about the role of money in political campaigns, and the potential contingency on candidate gender. Are candidates correct when they assume that monetary handouts are paramount to a successful campaign? Are monetary handouts more important to female candidates? In this paper, we examine candidates’ and voters’ perceptions of the role of monetary handouts in primary and general elections in Malawi. First, we use interviews with candidates and delegates and voter surveys to analyze candidates’ expectations regarding the importance of monetary handouts in primary and general elections, and whether these perceptions align with those of voters and delegates. Second, we use a conjoint experiment among voters to analyze whether female candidates are more dependent on displaying credibility and viability through handouts than male candidates. The study is paramount to identifying obstacles to women’s advancement in party primaries as it attempts to answer whether candidates’ beliefs about the importance of monetary handouts – and the enhanced importance of demonstrating wealth for female candidates – matches voters’ and delegates’ actual expectations.

Authors

• Merete Bech Seeberg, Department of Political Science, Aarhus University

• Laurits Aarslew, Aarhus University