America 250 celebrations expose a significant Republican gender gap

The highest-profile marking of America’s 250th anniversary thus far came last month, when the White House hosted an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight card on the South Lawn. It is no big surprise that three-quarters of Democrats found the spectacle inappropriate, versus less than a quarter of Republicans.

Now some states are displaying their partisan colors over the Trump administration’s Great American State Fair. At least 10 states led by Democratic governors have confirmed they won’t officially participate in the event, which began on Thursday on the National Mall. An Oregon spokesman said the event was “shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented.” 

But partisanship isn’t the only force dividing the country over how we should be celebrating America’s 250th. It turns out there is a gender divide as well. 

Compared to men, women are less engaged with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. They also hold significantly different views on what events surrounding the historic occasion should emphasize: less founding fathers, more bringing people together. 

Data from a national poll conducted by my university, Bowling Green State University, in conjunction with YouGov, makes the gender gap plain. We surveyed a sample of 1,200 U.S. registered voters in February. The poll has a 3.2 percent margin of error. 

Interest in America’s 250th anniversary is 10 points lower among women than men: 60 percent versus 70 percent. Women are also significantly less........

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