Gender, Politeness, and the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary Debates

Using politeness theory as a framework, this study compared men and women presidential candidates' argumentative discourse in the 2020 Democratic primary debates. Researchers conducted a content analysis of all twelve debates in which women candidates were present utilizing Dailey, Hinck, and Hinck's (2008) coding schema. Findings revealed differences in how men and women candidates approached the 2020 Democratic primary debates suggesting that the strategic use of face support and threat can be important tools in building a desirable political image of leadership.