This dichotomy of male and female produce gender stereotypes with attributes being associated to each group. These stereotypes filter our understanding of reality through a socially constructed hierarchy that assigns greater value to that which is associated with masculinity and lesser value to that which is associated with femininity. If we look at activities associated with masculinity like politics and military or business management it appears simply that men are present and women are absent. Basic ideologies or belief systems about human nature and social life reinforce gender stereotypes. The dominant gender ideology in the U.S. fuses gender stereotypes with masculine beliefs about families, sexuality, divisions of labor with constructions of power and authority.
Ideologies depoliticize what are in fact differences in power that serve some more than others.
Gender stereotypes held by men and women create a climate that encourages male participation while discouraging female participation in politics. So individual women, who seek leadership positions, must struggle against their internalized stereotypes and the general, public stereotyping that is resistance to women as political actors. Gender stereotyping produces behavioral patterns resulting in different concrete living situations for men and women that also constrain women's participation. These behavioral patterns produce situational constraints that limit women's participation. Common situations for women involve assigned domestic and mothering responsibilities.