Changed gender stereotypes may aid Harris

+ do you have the 'right' friends? US Edition - Today's top story: Is America ready for a woman president? Voters' attitudes to women politicians are radically different from a decade ago [View in browser]( US Edition | 24 October 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Immigrant workers send billions back home – and keep even more in the US]( - [Conservatives and liberals even click on search result ads differently]( - [Tiny particles in the air are silently killing millions of people around the world]( Lead story On July 19, 1984, I was a reporter at a major Bay Area newspaper standing among a massive crush of people on the floor of the Moscone Center in San Francisco, watching history be made. A woman dressed in white walked up to the microphone and said, “My name is Geraldine Ferraro,” and before Ferraro could even finish her sentence, the Democratic National Convention crowd roared. Ferraro was the first woman vice presidential nominee of a major party, running with presidential candidate Walter Mondale. The team lost the election – badly – and only when Kamala Harris became the U.S. vice president in the 2020 election, almost 40 years later, was that glass ceiling broken. Now, the final glass ceiling – the one keeping a woman from the presidency – might be broken. And that’s because stereotypes have changed, writes Boise State political scientist Angela Bos and her Dutch colleagues, Daphne Joanna van der Pas and Loes Aaldering. “Stereotypes have long hindered female candidates, casting them as emotional, weak and sensitive,” they write. But their research shows that voters in the U.S. “increasingly [see women leaders as synonymous with political leadership](” – and as more effective than men politicians, who are more commonly viewed as “power-hungry, selfish, manipulative and self-interested.” Voters “are now more likely to see a woman candidate as a better fit for public office,” they write. And that’s what could “pave the way for Harris to break through the highest glass ceiling in U.S. politics.” [ [The Conversation has no ads or paywalls, thanks to support from our readers](. ] Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy Voters hold clear and positive stereotypes of women politicians − while they don’t think as positively about men in politics. Artis777/iStock/Getty Images [Is America ready for a woman president? Voters’ attitudes to women politicians are radically different from a decade ago]( Angela L. Bos, Boise State University; Daphne Joanna van der Pas, University of Amsterdam; Loes Aaldering, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam A decade ago, people did not even agree on the traits that defined women politicians. Now they see women seeking political office as intelligent, rational, analytical, ambitious and moral. Politics + Society - [Proof that immigrants fuel the US economy is found in the billions they send back home]( Ernesto Castañeda, American University A new study finds that immigrants contribute about $2.2 trillion annually to the US economy, and that might be an undercount. Health + Medicine - [Tiny airborne particles within air pollution could be a silent killer – new study uncovers hidden risks and reveals who’s most at risk in New York state]( Shao Lin, University at Albany, State University of New York; Arshad Arjunan Nair, University at Albany, State University of New York; Fangqun Yu, University at Albany, State University of New York; Quan Qi, University at Albany, State University of New York Ultrafine particles are approximately one-thousandth the width of a human hair. But because of their tiny size, they are easily inhaled – and typically more dangerous than larger particles. Science + Technology - [Your next favorite story won’t be written by AI – but it could be someday]( Haoran Chu, University of Florida; Sixiao Liu, University of Central Florida Good storytelling relies on sound writing, believability, creativity and lived experience. AI has become skilled at the first two but still falls short on the second two. Economy + Business - [Your politics can affect whether you click on sponsored search results, new research shows]( Alexander Davidson, Wayne State University Campaigns, take note: Conservatives are more likely to click on search ads. - [Having the ‘right’ friends may hold the secret to building wealth, according to new study on socioeconomic ties]( Brad Cannon, Binghamton University, State University of New York A study found that in US counties where friendships with prosperous individuals are more common, investment and savings tend to be higher. Election 2024 - [Harris and Trump differ widely on gun rights, death penalty and other civil liberties questions]( Donovan A. Watts, Auburn University Key freedoms for US citizens against excessive government power are contained in the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution. Education - [Colorado’s Amendment 80 wants to make school choice ‘a right’ when it already is – an expert in educational policy explains the disconnect]( Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University Amendment 80 could set up a court challenge that may open up the use of public funding for private schools. Ethics + Religion - [For many Latter-day Saints, America has a special relationship with God − but Christian nationalism is a step too far]( Nicholas Shrum, University of Virginia America holds a unique place in the faith’s teachings, but awareness of the church’s often precarious place in US culture has made it wary of mixing religion and state. Podcast 🎙️ - [How we solved the mystery of the pink sand on South Australia’s beaches]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation Geologist Sharmaine Verhaert explains her search for the origins of pink sand found on beaches near Adelaide on The Conversation Weekly. Trending on site - [Many wealthy members of Congress are descendants of rich slaveholders − new study demonstrates the enduring legacy of slavery]( - [As more Americans go ‘no contact’ with their parents, they live out a dilemma at the heart of Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’]( - [Why the margin of error matters more than ever in reading 2024 election polls – a pollster with 30 years of experience explains]( Today's graphic 📈 [An annual comparison of wildfires with known causes shows that those started by human activities, such as sparks from power lines or cars, destroyed more structures than lightning-sparked fires did in most recent years.]( From the story, [Why wildfires started by human activities can be more destructive and harder to contain]( - - More of The Conversation [A graphic with the words On the Records: Comparing where Trump and Harris stand on key issues]( Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [Giving Today]( [New!] • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Threads]( • [Nostr]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to [help you make sense of our complex world](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](