Socially-ascribed status devaluation of women has persisted in many countries with varying levels of development and democracy. In such societies, women are often expected to smile to make others feel comfortable. This study addresses the questions of (1) whether women politicians smile more than their male counterparts, (2) whether smile equally helps female and male candidates win in elections, or it matters more for female candidates, and (3) whether there are national differences in the gender gap in politicians' smile--specifically, across the US, South Korea, Russia, and Kazakhstan. The results suggest that, while women may be inherently happier than men, non-smiling women are more severely punished than their male counterparts in the political market. Furthermore, I found evidence that the gender gap in politicians' smile exists in not only democracies but also dictatorships where smiling is not socially encouraged.
