Gender gaps in political knowledge have been found persistently in the social science literature. The central argument of this dissertation is that the gender gap in political knowledge is the product of a complex set of political, social, and psychological factors. Gender, although seemingly easy to measure as male or female, represents more than one\u27s anatomy. Gender encompasses one\u27s political, social, and psychological disposition as well. Eighteen hypotheses about the gender gap in political knowledge are tested in this dissertation. The data used to test these hypotheses come from seven national and local surveys, drawing heavily from the 2000 and 2004 National Annenberg Election Surveys. Evidence from this dissertation shows that the gender gap in political knowledge results from men\u27s greater propensity to guess at questions, higher incomes, higher levels of political interest, higher levels of political efficacy and perceived learning, and higher levels of debate viewing. To further complicate the matter, the culture of the state in which one resides differentially affects men\u27s and women\u27s knowledge levels. Women living in states with high proportions of female representation in state legislatures are more likely to hold information about presidential candidates than those living in states with fewer female state representatives. These effects are not as strong for men. The complexity of the gender gap in political knowledge is important because it suggests that a multifaceted approach is needed to address women\u27s differential engagement in the political process. The results of my research underscore that the effects of socialization are pervasive and are difficult to override. Consequently, changes in political structure are slow to occur
