Politics is Power? Youth Conceptions and their Gendered Implications

In academic writing and popular discourse, politics is often presented as a power game. Because power is culturally constructed as masculine, the association of politics with power is believed to repel women from and attract men to the political field. While prior research has examined such gendered implications from a framing perspective, this study takes a step back to ask: How do ordinary citizens themselves conceive of politics? Is politics power in citizens’ minds? These questions are particularly pertinent for young people, as political socialization and political career aspirations take shape during early adulthood. Using open-ended survey responses, I therefore analyze the semantic similarity of young people’s descriptions of politics and power, and I assess how associating politics with power may shape its perceived attractiveness to young men and women. Situating the study in the US, Germany, and Denmark—countries that differ markedly in women’s political representation—the study will deliver unique insights into how politics is conceived in young people’s minds, with potential implications for understanding persistent gender gaps in political representation.