Holtz-Bacha C (2025)
Publication Language: English
Publication Type: Journal article, Original article
Publication year: 2025
Book Volume: 57
Pages Range: 397-421
Journal Issue: 2
DOI: 10.1086/734462
An authentic performance is considered an essential element in the self-presentation of politicians.
With the growing number of women entering the electoral contest, the question arises
as towhether female candidates (can) use the samestrategies for an authentic performance and
whether these are accepted as such by the media and the electorate. This particularly applies to
populist female politicians since the staging of authenticity to demonstrate belonging to the
“virtuous people” is inherent in the populist communication style and they have to deal with
an environment that promotes strong, masculine leadership. This article argues that authenticity
is something different for female than for male candidates as a result of the tension between
the expectations of female and male behavior, known as double bind and linked to the
juggle between the female gender stereotype and the male connoted leadership model that persists
in politics. Against this background, four strategies are identified here that have different
implications for the performance of authenticity and, in the case of populist female candidates,
are additionally influenced by themasculine character of their parties. The use of motherhood
for female self-presentation is also discussed as a quasi-universal strategy. Case studies suggest
that women react in different ways to the expectations arising from the double bind in their
performance of authenticity. Thus, it can be concluded that the same authenticity strategy does
not fit all. Future research should therefore applymore complex models of how authenticity is
constructed by political actors and impacted by gender.
APA:
Holtz-Bacha, C. (2025). Staging Political Authenticity: Does the Same Strategy Fit All? Polity, 57(2), 397-421. https://doi.org/10.1086/734462
MLA:
Holtz-Bacha, Christina. "Staging Political Authenticity: Does the Same Strategy Fit All?" Polity 57.2 (2025): 397-421.
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