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Erin C. Cassese

Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Delaware
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About Erin

Cassese's research examines voter psychology, with an emphasis on the role of gender in American political campaigns and elections. This work has appeared in Political Behavior, Political Research Quarterly, Political Psychology, Politics & Gender and a number of other scholarly journals. Cassese’s scholarship has been cited by national media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vox, and FiveThirtyEight.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

In the News

Erin C. Cassese quoted on with Harris on the ballot, sexism is likely to be a prominent issue, as it was in 2016 by Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux and Meredith Conroy, "Women Won the Right to Vote 100 Years Ago. They Didn't Start Voting Differently From Men Until 1980" Five Thirty Eight, August 19, 2020.
"Four Things You Need to Know About Women Voters," Erin C. Cassese (with Heather L. Ondercin), Gender Watch 2018, October 13, 2018.
Erin C. Cassese quoted by Lisa Belkin, "On Gender, Candidates in the Trump Era Negotiate a Changed Landscape" Yahoo News, March 16, 2018.
Erin C. Cassese quoted by Alia E. Dastagir, "West Virginia Teachers' Victory Shows 'Power of Women' as More Battles Loom" USA Today, March 8, 2018.
"Why is Organized Labor So Active in Trump Country?," Erin C. Cassese (with R. Scott Crichlow), Vox, March 7, 2018.
"Campaign Attacks May Hurt Women Candidates More than Men - Especially on 'Women's' Issues," Erin C. Cassese, Monkey Cage, The Washington Post, August 31, 2017.
"George Romero's Zombies Will Make Americans Reflect on Racial Violence Long after His Death ," Erin C. Cassese, The Conversation, July 26, 2017.
"Here are 3 Insights into Why Some People Call Trump A 'Monster'," Erin C. Cassese, Monkey Cage , The Washington Post , October 31, 2016.
"Why Donald Trump Never Really Had a 'Woman' Problem among Republican Voters ," Erin C. Cassese, London School of Economics U.S. Politics & Policy Blog , October 31, 2016.
"Can Ivanka Trump Lure Female Voters to Her Father? Probably Not," Erin C. Cassese, Monkey Cage , The Washington Post , July 25, 2016.
"The Wage Gap is about Women's Opportunities, Not Just Their Choices," Erin C. Cassese, Monkey Cage, The Washington Post, April 14, 2015.

Publications

"American Party Women: A Look at the Gender Gap within Parties " (with Tiffany D. Barnes). Political Research Quarterly 70, no. 1 (2016): 127-141.

Explores gender differences in policy attitudes both across parties and within parties. Finds Republican women are more moderate than Republican men in several policy areas, but that gender differences across party are more meaningful than gender differences within parties.

"Racializing Gender: Public Opinion at the Intersection" (with Tiffany D. Barnes and Regina P. Branton ). Politics and Gender 11, no. 1 (2015): 1-26.

Explores how beliefs about race and gender shape support for pay equity policy. Finds that support varies depending on the characteristics of women who stand to benefit from programs that would ensure equal pay for men and women.

"A Re-Examination of Women's Electoral Success in Open Seat Elections: The Conditioning Effect of Electoral Competition " (with Tiffany D. Barnes and Regina P. Branton ). Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy 38, no. 3 (2016): 298-317.

Investigates female candidates' electoral success in Congressional races that are "open seats"- meaning that no incumbent is running in the contest. Finds that female candidates face greater harm in fields with multiple high-quality challengers when compared to similarly-situated male candidates. 

"Party and Gender Stereotypes in Campaign Attacks" (with Mirya Holman). Political Behavior (2017): 1-23.

Investigates the effects of trait and issue based campaign attacks on candidate evaluations and voter decision making. Finds female candidates are particularly vulnerable to attacks on stereotypically feminine traits and issues. 

"Religious Beliefs, Gender Consciousness, and Women's Political Participation" (with Mirya Holman). Sex Roles 75, no. 9 (2016): 514-527.

Examines the effects of religiosity on the political behavior of men and women. Finds evidence that conservative religious beliefs uniquely affect women's political identities in ways that depress political behavior.