ABSTRACT
While conceptions of masculinity may have changed over the decades, candidates' reliance on tropes of stereotypical heteronormative gender performance remains constant within campaign narratives. The roles and responsibilities of First Ladies have only grown over the decades. Scholars of popular culture may find a field of study within the phenomenon of the increased visibility of the First Family. Today, claims to military experience have taken a back seat to other forms of masculine performance. In 2012 and 2016, none of the major party candidates claimed military experience, with Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump never having served in the armed forces. What was once crucial to a presidential resume has seemingly become unimportant. Establishing oneself as an autonomous, self-made man still bears weight within the construction of normative masculinity, even as the role of military service has waned in importance.
