Rhetorical Competence In Elections

This model examines the process of voter perception in the rhetorical competence of a female candidate and how the candidate’s competence positively leads to election. Candidates running for political office need to be likable, charismatic, and trustworthy. These leadership traits and characteristics impact a candidate’s chances for obtaining office. The more of these qualities a candidate possesses the higher the candidate’s chances become of being elected to office (Borchers, 2005; Burrell, 2008; Conger, Kanungo & Menon, 2000; Choi, 2006; Goethals, 2005; Levine & Boaks, 2014; Rejai & Phillips, 2004; Schroedel, Bligh, Merolla & Gonzalez, 2013; Teven, 2008). An additional component of the model involves the importance of political party affiliation and the affects on voters’ choice. …show more content…
The rhetorical competence of a candidate is based upon two factors: first, how well the candidate articulates their ideas and second, how knowledgeable the candidate appears to be in specific policies. This competence leads to the voters’ initial evaluation of the candidate. The initial candidate evaluation is comprised of two aspects: voter personal evaluation and voter gender expectations. Both of these aspects are dependent upon one another other; they are not mutually exclusive and one cannot exist without the other. The gender expectations are functions of double bind, stereotypes, and political party gender ideologies. These gender expectations and personal evaluations of the candidate apply to the social context of the election. Two observational factors of the election’s social contexts are the reference group normative values and societal normative values. The reference group is