More Republican than Democratic men think of themselves as 'highly masculine'

Republican men are significantly more likely than Democratic men to rate themselves as “highly masculine,” according to a Pew Research Center survey.  

The survey — conducted in early September and published Thursday — shows 42 percent of men rate themselves as “highly masculine,” including 53 percent of Republican or Republican-leaning men and 29 percent of Democratic or Democratic-leaning men.

Overall, a slightly larger share, 43 percent, say they “lean masculine,” while 11 percent rate themselves as equally masculine and feminine. Less than 5 percent overall rate themselves as “lean feminine” or “highly feminine.”

The survey asked respondents to rate their own masculinity and femininity on separate scales, from zero to four, and researchers calculated the difference to determine their leanings.

Views of masculinity continued to split when examining the ideological divides within the parties.

Among Republican or Republican-leaning men, 60 percent of those who identify as “conservative” call themselves “highly masculine,” whereas 38 percent of Republican or Republican-leaning men who call themselves “liberal” or “moderate” say the same.

Among Democratic and Democratic-leaning men, 20 percent of those who call themselves “liberal” say they are “highly masculine,” and 37 percent of those who call themselves conservative say the same.  

The survey found a less significant political or ideological divide among women in their perceptions of their own femininity.

Among Republican and Republican-leaning women, 38 percent say they are “highly feminine,” and 44 percent say they “lean feminine.” Among Democratic and Democratic-leaning women, 32 percent say they are “highly feminine,” and 48 percent say they “lean feminine.”

The data sets show men and women are increasingly less likely to view themselves as “highly masculine” or “highly feminine,” respectively, by each consecutive age group.

The rate at which men describe themselves as “highly masculine” is 25 percent for men ages 18 to 29; 36 percent for men ages 30 to 49; 53 percent for those ages 50 to 64; and 54 percent for those 65 years old and older.

For women, the drop-off begins with the second-oldest age group, but a similar trend persists. The rate at which women call themselves “highly feminine” is 20 percent for women ages 18 to 29; 28 percent for women ages 30 to 49; 38 percent for women ages 50 to 64; and 54 percent for women 65 years old and older.

The latest data comes amid a rise in public discourse about the role gender should play in politics and society more broadly. Public figures such as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) have lamented the decline in “traditional masculine virtues — things like courage and independence and assertiveness,” and have blamed the political left for the shift. Some supporters of former President Trump's campaign have echoed similar sentiments.

The survey takes place against the backdrop of a presidential election that could result in the first female U.S. president. Vice President Harris’s campaign, however, has largely avoided talking explicitly about her gender as she makes her case on the campaign trail.

Still, the gender gap in polls, by some measures, is the largest it’s been in recent political memory. While the race remains closely divided between Harris and Trump, Harris routinely pulls ahead among women while Trump leads among men.

The survey was conducted Sept. 3-15 and included 6,204 respondents. The margin of error is 1.5 percentage points. The margin of error for the 2,710 men is 2.3 percentage points, and the margin of error for the 3,446 women is 2.1 percentage points.