Reputation and Representation: Ideological Signaling and Women's Political Voice

In conservative societies, women who support gender-equity policies may face reputational costs for appearing “too liberal,” distorting voters’ public endorsements of progressive candidates and how female candidates shape their messages. We investigate how those concerns affect women voters’ and candidates’ publicly expressed policy preferences, and, whether shallow online communication amplifies distortions relative to deeper communication.

We will conduct a field experiment during Morocco’s 2026 parliamentary elections to test whether richer dialogue reduces distorted political expression. The experiment will randomize the depth (limited versus extended) and medium (online versus in-person) of communication between candidates and voters in townhall-style discussions, and between voters making endorsements. Language-model analysis will quantify ideological signaling and policy views. A survey experiment will measure private policy preferences and identify how female candidates selectively signal ideology.

Practically, the findings will guide strategies to empower women to participate in the political process openly and without social penalty. The positive distributional consequences may include increased representation of gender-equitable views and support for female candidates. Conceptually, the study advances the understanding of how communication depth shapes distortions between private belief and public behavior, and its political consequences.