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POWER OF THE PEOPLE: HOW FOUR GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES CAPITALIZED ON THE COLLECTIVE IDENTITY FOUND IN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
- Date Issued:
- 2023
- Abstract/Description:
- Gubernatorial mansions are historically home to white men. Candidates with contrary identities, such as women and racial minorities have met limited success in their quest for office. Yet the number of women seeking executive level office has increased and these women represent a broader intersectional identity. The low percentage of women governors has been examined in detail, but that analysis largely holds gender as an isolated variable and does not consider the candidates' broader identity. This project posits gender is only one factor of candidate identity called into question when it is nonnormative and varies from historical office holders. I argue candidate identity interacts with the identity expressed by voters and the collective identity found in social movements. The ability of the candidate to navigate this interaction and use it to their advantage is paramount to their success. I find that structural differences in the Democratic and Republican parties provide opportunities and constraints for women candidates. Further, gender, race, and previous political experience are intersectional and create different responses by candidates. Ultimately, successful candidates align their political identity with the collective identity found in contemporary social movements as a mitigation mechanism for voters uncomfortable with who the candidate appears to be.
Title: | POWER OF THE PEOPLE: HOW FOUR GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES CAPITALIZED ON THE COLLECTIVE IDENTITY FOUND IN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS. |
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Name(s): |
Choate, Gail L. , author Nichols, Angela D. , Thesis advisor Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor Department of Political Science Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters |
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Type of Resource: | text | |
Genre: | Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation | |
Date Created: | 2023 | |
Date Issued: | 2023 | |
Publisher: | Florida Atlantic University | |
Place of Publication: | Boca Raton, Fla. | |
Physical Form: | application/pdf | |
Extent: | 254 p. | |
Language(s): | English | |
Abstract/Description: | Gubernatorial mansions are historically home to white men. Candidates with contrary identities, such as women and racial minorities have met limited success in their quest for office. Yet the number of women seeking executive level office has increased and these women represent a broader intersectional identity. The low percentage of women governors has been examined in detail, but that analysis largely holds gender as an isolated variable and does not consider the candidates' broader identity. This project posits gender is only one factor of candidate identity called into question when it is nonnormative and varies from historical office holders. I argue candidate identity interacts with the identity expressed by voters and the collective identity found in social movements. The ability of the candidate to navigate this interaction and use it to their advantage is paramount to their success. I find that structural differences in the Democratic and Republican parties provide opportunities and constraints for women candidates. Further, gender, race, and previous political experience are intersectional and create different responses by candidates. Ultimately, successful candidates align their political identity with the collective identity found in contemporary social movements as a mitigation mechanism for voters uncomfortable with who the candidate appears to be. | |
Identifier: | FA00014129 (IID) | |
Degree granted: | Dissertation (PhD)--Florida Atlantic University, 2023. | |
Collection: | FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection | |
Note(s): | Includes bibliography. | |
Subject(s): |
Collective identity Group identity--Political aspects Governors--Election Social movements Gender and politics |
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Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014129 | |
Use and Reproduction: | Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder. | |
Use and Reproduction: | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | |
Host Institution: | FAU | |
Is Part of Series: | Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections. |