(AGENPARL) – lun 21 novembre 2022 Having trouble viewing this press release? [Read it online](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6gTQXqoFtB58fI1KeAEfz1xjbzgZX5AjvPYNTdbbUWTUb2Op9YAthfC-2B4azmKJ8-2B6Oaar0rekg-2BxWbOXPKp9DezmlKnicXZNwdD6Rvn26U6WR3vALGc1V0rH0sqC06YisXNvvfkBdIkvRwHwvR9i-2BSU-3DWkMm_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B3-2F1eQ8y30XGP1ZCte-2FvAY2BuSUAJT1ZvrjBWJHR8eodqXaBCAqbY9sITpcXy05k59IGq7GYAPxq1hDT5e-2FB9vulSR-2FwR2OA5ApnIGivPxcAl-2BlYlKTVoqxIOW8-2FW5BJATzOe9HnQjfalKdOr8BBNs5H19LrhHPp8VVb1RZGyi2-2BXZFo9LaOxOKQlR52en-2BUhA-3D-3D).
https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6gTQXqoFtB58fI1KeAEfz1xjbzgZX5AjvPYNTdbbUWTUb2Op9YAthfC-2B4azmKJ8-2B6Oaar0rekg-2BxWbOXPKp9DezmlKnicXZNwdD6Rvn26U6WR3vALGc1V0rH0sqC06YisXNvvfkBdIkvRwHwvR9i-2BSU-3D1ItY_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B0XFJe1lOofvQYTTK8JYtaaSyqaFIxQOaW2hVy7Lht6J5mShWFILHXlxbx8EnU9dlPCal7NzbOtIcEi8rqyjR-2Ba6i0jq8-2F9Sgq9pyE4lf8kjPmbLUjqlNYW1R-2BTJ-2B5ZeB5AQiPnl-2BKC5USIHCB3fiAtIcW613zIgZH8vxfw02qRAQOs-2FCno9syh8SwhWJt7nkw-3D-3D
For immediate release
[Cecilia Hyunjung Mo: The male backlash against democracy is no surprise](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6gTQXqoFtB58fI1KeAEfz1xjbzgZX5AjvPYNTdbbUWTUb2Op9YAthfC-2B4azmKJ8-2B6Oaar0rekg-2BxWbOXPKp9DezmlKnicXZNwdD6Rvn26U6WR3vALGc1V0rH0sqC06YisXNvvfkBdIkvRwHwvR9i-2BSU-3D53SN_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B9d901MM8FeOZQBDOIay6GpBJv7ZTb54ZuOctSd-2FhTKjw7IRFh-2FKM7XTXs41qmHmDcB84nmUeVNpDU-2BpZcOx8lqEps4IlLdqp14ic0C3YdllYIZzeldDyIOpKGH4nMQLfye3E-2F3SP95Bxx6NCKpD986vWGWDjKvsyJlNC8JYkW3LkT4swXyHxbzvMc1mAAZEcA-3D-3D)
By Edward Lempinen | Media Relations
November 21, 2022
https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6gTQXqoFtB58fI1KeAEfz1xjbzgZX5AjvPYNTdbbUWTUb2Op9YAthfC-2B4azmKJ8-2B6Oaar0rekg-2BxWbOXPKp9DezmlKnicXZNwdD6Rvn26U6WR3vALGc1V0rH0sqC06YisXNvvfkBdIkvRwHwvR9i-2BSU-3D9sSB_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B5lF76b1Q115S5JYZsHUvy2PzG2EMOaqYZXFek-2BlW9v7qZIBafO4-2FqauZGXI6uUrJV2G24bvhtyAEFIFzTY9JKM6vexzRe7JgW5vspGjxfgx3AVMnT-2B-2BQFcxYCJV4y-2BYLcmBRK6dryPdY-2BveoCv0ihcQsAH5WtJTprFxrvjAqBfutqz9mGzMGcxUiS9KLPJrrg-3D-3D
As women, people of color and LGBTQIA+ people gain political power in the U.S., some white men perceive that they have lost power and status, says UC Berkeley political scientist Cecilia Hyunjung Mo. Imbued with this sense of loss, some turn to extremist movements. (Photo by Gaspard Le Dem/Sipa via AP Images)
Berkeley — In simple terms, the story of U.S. democracy is the story of how power and rights first held almost exclusively by white men have been extended, slowly and unevenly, to once-excluded groups. Today, after decades of conflict and change, equality remains elusive, but people of color, women and LGBTQIA+ people have more power than ever before.
For white men, and especially working-class white men, the changes have often come at a perceived cost. Increasingly, they [are turning against democracy](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6gTQXqoFtB58fI1KeAEfz1wA-2Ff0TrjYTRx3Oekr9z0JDdU4n-2Bpcl5YApUd7DYFsAYDf6Nes7nZO2acPWUMLQ8hRfsBxKk1q-2FOI8ng9LzqjhDAoEsL60Ohdrbicp92MEjcw-3D-3DrRMm_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B9N7Ev2eKdLtLTYWsdSCLhHLEduUqLO8GbcgyRAQ68ChUoLunl9jYKY-2Bum5chgHBh27hqCcfugGq8edFQgxdYOrZfVuMRbOHdIBY-2FG-2FAc-2Btc8HXRjZq12ONPHyhr4p7uHNKNF097XBh2qPBXZ35jkqtQ6DnP4D0Fp2BNMsubjxA1vvBLfWENwhuSr3muG-2Bq7Cw-3D-3D) itself — and in the view of Berkeley political scientist Cecilia Hyunjung Mo, we should not be surprised.
In extensive research on the psychology of political behavior, Mo has traced how people who feel left behind can be the source of destabilizing [discontent](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6p0HbR-2B9RYBYkyfLqobFPPN1ntDZ1AM6fMp9hlmopCOg4CQhVZLY8buYk9nkJMCSWa9Km7uVFOzy8dzc8wYmWZE15uvJoJk-2FW4DBCFH1Q8YUJpd8_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B-2BRKICNt98Yq7A0uZvuHyz7oqT9hxPt5pnbmJ-2BFwb61Lsirtx5nzRjGsipir38ORZC-2FON2eJyKtjc1O3dnQ-2B2uEGCNJWSPNKwX-2BvvtZwssPbBup6z7yi8t6xPv4PosRh1xSBPrprPxIPXkJcBmjw-2FPkFlCHeOuX13SYUaE0uAWxvMflACHSMbEVj48ALr6SQew-3D-3D) within a society.
It happened during [the French Revolution](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6uf2dKoqhWutXIpeynSK7gycPt-2FIweJOm2ZPn3tZzQZRmB1dEIGTO25akuwpBjoAXQ-3D-3DcBhr_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B-2Fu8Qbd-2FLUdwrPpyPoWeLGvU6S4Y5IfPVk-2F-2BGlQcV8zDITI0Qnerh4nOBMZMnEyU5x0MBMUqDhyYmuXRDCp7kR4Y9cdfm86K6BRclzYY3eYKoaPRWkdNESizKA283hfaxPcsSJKx1GC-2FNFAG1xKDkaYz0A7edwFqjuWd9yzpttkd-2BT1q6edW48BLmLHiJoiS8A-3D-3D), she said in a recent interview. And it’s happening today in the United States, where a powerful bloc of white men — alienated by profound economic, technological and cultural change — are resentful and antagonistic to the status quo.
In the interview, Mo described a pattern of aggrieved men that is flaring up around the globe. While racism has long been a powerful factor in voting, she said, research shows that the relatively recent rise of women in politics has provoked a dramatic, parallel increase in political sexism.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Berkeley News: Looking at the anti-democratic trends in U.S. politics, do you think we can conclude that these are driven to some extent by a backlash against the economic and social changes that have eroded the status of white men — and especially white working-class men — over the past 50 years?
Cecilia Hyunjung Mo: I would say yes. And I say that because the reactions of white males in the U.S. and other Western democracies is not entirely irrational. Some degree of backlash is what we would expect to see given what we know about the psychology of human behavior.
If you’ve been accustomed to being at the top — if that’s what you’ve known, how you’ve been socialized, and what history has taught you — then it is not unreasonable for you to start assuming that, “We’re supposed to be at the top.” As a consequence, if you start believing that there are other groups surpassing you, doing better than you think your group is doing, then it makes sense that you start feeling discontent.
You think, “I feel like I’m losing.” And this may be particularly intolerable for men, given socialized masculine traits. Think of how boys and men traditionally have been socialized. You often learn that as a man, you’re supposed to be dominant and aggressive. You’re supposed to be competitive. You’re supposed win. So, white men are a group that is increasingly, especially over the last decade, feeling like they have less than they should.
White men have lost some power, but they generally remain in a dominant position in wages, in executive positions, in political representation —
Think about the French Revolution. Tocqueville observed that “the parts of France that were to become the principal center of that revolution were precisely those where progress was most evident.” Tocqueville theorized that this was, in part, because of the gap between what citizens feel they should have and what they actually have — a concept that has been termed the “aspirations gap” by the economist Debraj Ray.
One can feel disaffected in the face of apparent prosperity when expectations far exceed reality. I was part of a [research team](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6lwJrCX3Ui6D1SXNO3Wz6NjIA3WbG3GnC-2Fgd9TD0PND0yFrA10FCsd3oi2PY6Pk7eDrl83MmfNeLqVCI8GQIHS47Eo9ZdnqyIskg5kRoiKmqzJuTYCqnj-2FiiIF4IJRPEyjoMIi-2Fq6O7mTEengId1DHIHPchcSiIfgS7GyQ-2FIw5Kd-2FEdoPl-2Be9Dzz-2Fa64fYyogB4xsssywaY0qdAddI4k9Zw3XxX5Aw3CNOAo8h3Zy1GTais6y0XAaDjlaSx0LFGJSghS51Z55U5G2xOaLuUrNQ8y8xHtAeijog4rW9YMk1rca07G_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B-2Fo6Dh9w-2FyaJTgRxqf8L5a5vr9IPqaTiXBtbLR76n-2Bus0-2FUG12zg61rUTeNejBqS-2BBkpHO7K6nscFW6rkP2RXyigBTwRyL0s4Le9T8U3fF8ZTWz54plV-2FGDsCTTkLu7gLjO3OLz0fzehpALDqUi-2BUsCj1KAStbtGiHlfYtI5uKqvE34WRr1lK5qf90aqTFepMQ-3D-3D) that saw evidence of the [power of an aspirations gap](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6guiF25gu8WShcGW-2B4eeyAv71hfBk50O2jKmE1-2FuvsBDP-2F0hjNrvhcUUOPIJkU6Ub45uMc8hhlMyQYOIZvjTN0EfLGJrpz42QA-2Fq7aQyhTJWplwZU1ysLSIJUPfHJKcsNA-3D-3D7yJb_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B-2BBb1Em5YKtVBtLQ5xIViizQoEoxykb1VapFsF2oCbGojHg2t9XMcngclveXdV-2B58-2FXj51oJ69jk2jYHEBgvOjWxwBhWCLiFkZy1tArHe4yvlFlc05jDSbqBK08IEypsfH-2B-2FwrS0roWImkGtd4ksN1iG09xrfvgBILrZh7vQvhkR1tuksuc3FwV-2F63tFHc2Wtg-3D-3D). Feeling left behind can lead to opposition party victories, political protests, and even outright rebellion.
Today, we’re seeing the advancement of women and several minority groups. We’re increasingly talking about issues of inequality. But if you’re thinking, “I’m not on top anymore and I should be on top,” then you might start feeling aggrieved by these changes.
This resentment, this psychological disposition among white men — is this a conscious decision? Is it happening below the surface? Or both?
Disgruntled individuals are likely not fully conscious of the origins of their resentment. And there are leaders who can leverage those feelings. They can pour fuel on the resentment and build support by making these individuals feel like, of course they should be angry.
For example, as many analysts have identified, Donald Trump’s 2017 [inauguration speech](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6rQnz7AWyP7-2FOCQSDiJ1JJp6LA3UkA5zYtELQALefItH5ZlGYTVRG1L4i-2F0RuG3iXpsG9UhmVcqzpxqnqS-2FN0RDwoJIIXgmeD-2BJvb9yrRpfhuxRuj5ofjviVi3QYdq0RrQ-3D-3DBqgk_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2By7azuMUN6SKzKBfMMKOnlZemnXyb8M5-2B297NV4GwLRS5zbAY50PtjOD-2FeVSlo-2FaFwD7AssfuUcIa-2FlbfiddK7eAqE4G4piRw4Zi-2F0G1f7kujIQDNkgMBYnf21s0vO3-2BzIhQFsaGmIbW0JpgG6o4peoXNNKpsrvRpeTI8mMBGMOh-2Bf9BVUS9KtwwmbgUIfACfg-3D-3D) — and campaign — that spoke of “forgotten men and women of our country,” struck a chord with Americans who felt increasingly alienated from Washington, because they felt worse off as they were witnessing success around them.
This sounds like an algorithm that would drive radicalization.
[Behavioral models](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6o28-2FE41eDtPzetEEjL4Ub72SEPbcYnfhsYQY4R9IU2BmWxN4Atym2iHZub74cAXCvtq6z6tivb2xey4J01KlSKP3JclXOtRDnxxTm1SQWLd20f4_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B5-2B4g4qH7fbOyG-2FFGmBSJYe1TGiRiOzpSuwa8HlV4xdKIi2KlNfSNwlh4CjrBZyujV9M53dSwTOQ14j8Y5LyTjT5Y4bXNl64J8fH-2FRiDKkC-2FGOTc-2FA7w0DNbZ0b5NX0yCqwl19GA9dYWedVQPrAz9L-2BnXP0qKY8nYncr-2FqqVI09IxZNAlH2YtSSA25OyKujfGQ-3D-3D) show that when you’re in the domain of loss, you are also more risk-tolerant. When people are more risk-tolerant, it’s easier to convince them to make choices that aren’t necessarily the best choices, like taking part in like an insurgency.
It’s sort of a perfect storm: People are angry about what they feel they’ve lost, which results in them being more willing to take risks and more susceptible to listen to rhetoric that makes them feel justified for feeling upset.
I can’t help but notice that this description might apply directly to the movement led by Donald Trump.
This is one thing Trump has done really well. Perhaps due to his experience in [World Wrestling Entertainment](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6s4aEHQReAwICMYJWGLqlAqqKRHTdqlYMwwkFRQaxSToLTGkVGKgdJYOhuN4lvk5Xw-3D-3DzQAH_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B-2F7JjhSpT7ZWnxpFYCG7Vv4mPcSl1woJBCC86AqzT6HQ8tfGadl2UcQpjgogOBK2naP4zy8mxOil00MCwJ-2Buh4r8cVUEm3CM9jGU4HN36r-2BmaMa0YMTce1NrVBJTItsTjYzdvxhT0NJsj4869TVVwmeax8z3h2rdgmOMOqb400mgzl9s0Nm8BDZpD-2FGS-2FmvccQ-3D-3D), he fights opponents like they’re in a wrestling ring with him. He has leaned into the machismo-laden entertainment world of his past, where he makes it clear to his audience that you’re either a winner or loser — and he’s a winner.
He couples that with rhetoric that tells angry, alienated individuals, particularly men, that they are losing, and that people like them used to win. Take his campaign slogan, Make American Great Again. He’s reminding people, “It’s not as great as it used to be, and things should be better for you.”
I think back to [Jesse Ventura](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6s4aEHQReAwICMYJWGLqlAouh1Z5YFVAuXUxjaMKdieMBRVREZlhm3ossn2t4S1hTw-3D-3DIYXL_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2ByKwWhRTXmwOCw96pgSEtLglYTjiYdNS6TDTepLq19kIEE3vcNfm7eflvnDkrKUGKv9vHszzb9xBjMIS4NnqRCEuEDtzn9xFhYzfEuoO5vJFlw14NAjmJi92Bc2ps7i3PnKxlDnUazv-2FxrU915Z5crbJtedkiMN0MrWSKk7qA5LXnS9UyVFk9bf4xak1XDenfg-3D-3D), the wrestler who was elected governor of Minnesota, or to [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6s2OLPIHbZq2Z1ICdKb4Dn-2BeyWJDA2ibVlfqmC2-2FcH1TvAZ1_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B8FMrLNts4Txfzh3KL9w5acqjIxxqLWIygNUK3WVshRl2hcMsPv48d8498bESBjJjsj03HRl-2B3DF3btjkFr97hTeRGr9lObPTrenOIN8HqN2OXFUENHfmTSjTUHKI4jOdjeBQ2N0tkVoeblLnYBieyZW69NOsmk6dojQMtdI6URs9E-2BQi67OlW0iyjpoKqtYMw-3D-3D), who played hyper-masculine, agent-of-vengeance roles in films before he was elected governor of California. Were they early signals of the nostalgia for white male dominance?
People like Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger capture the minds and hearts of a subset of the population for a reason. That strong male figure resonates among those who ascribe to traditional views of masculine and feminine roles.
What does that say about men’s political relationships to women?
I’m currently doing some research on the role of general sexism. There’s been [a lot of research](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6hiwE8-2BjYhtskcDecnwoFc74RUY7dDNZrT4yEUiod66IZQxeJagxFDDwYPj7zTEQxtijg2OBw5dMguMbjyjapc5rK0ftdVHOOysMQiSSGOqeM9hI_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B6hC5G5HOGJ3IJmZ18PgVKRmJUoQkLVC9PAmOlhPM8vqpWKk3VX5uD-2BBBNO0QkQnhrt9FvvMyjV0aHXrdN-2FjFI3m-2BQRcxXzU245sxjq7tBhm8p0pdm9iebpBYDNz1A62XIQXrHbZGpYw8V0usMbEB41qCJ-2FAGFD0D2fyJ4-2FuSQj84msM-2F7Aq6Yh8HbaDuHVq0A-3D-3D) on the extent to which [sexism affected voter support for Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=uDPfAnrJXoDw8-2BCe3b2e6uJlIhk9l-2FmOwpwYuzqGDeTwCXWm2GwWgMb8MHklgdk-2FkgdmPLMdX-2F7fMY2qQ-2FqUITcMYYmtxbaLT6mQ06raaCA-3DuLJM_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mv8wVBOgi5GpVq-2FNhlrfTl-2BTI61oGMQNfTGLPKQc-2F-2BKWIb2uEidh5Cy9Snrxt2Kvdg46NMTv1EBYVNMuj4LXg-2FOcp1vjS58GLuYPY5umk7MI7E8qjCZ-2BQCk-2FcWz6xkQJkl4xSzd498sqKbWMUNaKG5yVTKciy-2BErbF9UmCERFj-2B9YmbsvEnyJvl-2FB83rQacfq1x4HQfvWiVM3X1Wb7agNQvwo00Ejw-2F-2BJ4BAoSeisHi6565pPS90MVfwODnOuQIipnhpNlWeSmLBszeB8xwyWheIWiaLC4W3rwH-2FsxHlMtm38bkc-2FkQnd-2FxxGg2yYcNr-2FrXvtyH4PgV-2ByFcuPZnBa10oEC8MioGNjkbISMwsIsXQ-3D-3D) (the Democratic nominee for president in 2016) because she was a female candidate. But even with the 2020 election, where the candidates for both of the main political parties in the U.S. were men, we are seeing that underlying gender attitudes of voters mattered hugely for what candidate people favored.
There are men feeling left behind relative to women, and simultaneously, there’s more attention to advancing women, whether through quotas or through a range of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging programs.
This subset of men may perceive that institutions are making efforts to help “all of these people that are not me,” which means women and people of color. Racism has long-affected voting behavior, but sexism is now increasingly rearing its head.