Could the gender divide decide the US presidential election?

Women move to the left, men to the right

Illustration of a man and woman, the White House, Congress, and voting data
"In countries on every continent, an ideological gap has opened up between young men and women"
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images)

The 2024 presidential election "pits young men against young women," said The Wall Street Journal. Voters under 30 are increasingly divided along gender lines, with women favoring Democrats and men increasingly favoring Republicans. That gap isn't just about candidates: It extends to "abortion, student-loan forgiveness and other issues" of concern to young adults. Some of that might reflect different life experiences: A growing share of young women are achieving financial independence, "while fewer young men are reaching that milestone compared with four decades ago."

It's not just young people. There's also a "divorce divide" in American politics, Daniel A. Cox said at the Survey Center on American Life. Recent polling shows that 56% of divorced men are voting for Donald Trump — his most devoted group of voters — compared to 42% of divorced women. That's a sign that as Americans "spend more time uncoupled, they are more likely to develop a tribal approach to politics." And there are concerns the gender gap could ripple more broadly through American culture. "Partisan polarization is bad for the nation," Elizabeth Grace Matthew said at The Hill, "but partisan polarization that correlates ever more with sex is likely to prove even worse."

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.