Election of Women

Election of Women

• Why so much variation

– across nations?

– across American states?

Election of Women

• Major changes– In US Congress

• about 17%• “big” increase post 1990

– In State legislatures• steady gains post 1970• little change in last 10 years• frozen at about 23%

Election of Women

Election of Women

Election of Women

• Candidate recruitment– In states, increase in # of candidates

tracked w/ increase in # of women elected

– Since 1992, pool of candidates has not increased

Election of Women

Election of Women

• Major partisan differences– Since 1990, fewer GOP women elected

– More Dem women elected• 31% of D state legislators women• 15% of R state legislators women

– Same pattern in US Congress

Election of Women

Election of Women

• Regional variation– Women have made major gains in some

states• New England, WA, West

– Highest = 40% in CO

– Little representation in many states• South

– lowest = 13% in SC

Election of Women

Election of Women

Election of Women

• Nordic 42%– SWE 45%

• Americas 22%– CAN 22%, MEX 18%

• Europe 22%– SUI 29%, GER 33%

• Europe (n-n) 20%– RUS 14%

• Asia 19%– JAP 11%

• SubS Africa 18%

Election of Women

• Questions– Why trends, why flattening?– Why partisan differences?– Why regional differences?– What effects of representation?

Election of Women

• Are voters biased against women candidates?– continued sexism?

• Are there not enough viable women candidates?

Election of Women

• Major factors– Party recruitment

• Is this reason for party difference?• in US, local parties

– lower office route to

• other nations– Party list placement

Election of Women

• Major factors– Campaign finance

• Men and women have different networks

• Different opportunities for raising money– Women fewer opportunities to raise large sums of

money

Election of Women

• Major factors– quotas

• in Constitution

• in Party rules– In Europe, left parties started quotas earlier

Election of Women

• Single member vs. multi-member districts– WA, AZ....

– Voters more likely to vote for woman if also first have chance to vote for a man?

Election of Women

• Cultural factors?– Scandinavia vs. rest of Europe

• Gender roles different SP, IT than SWE...

– New England vs. US South

Election of Women

• Daniel Elazar’s US Political Culture thesis– Moralistic

• Government advance society, Scandinavians– Individualistic

• politics to advance personal economic goals– Traditionalistic

• hierarchy, authority

Election of Women

Election of Women

Election of Women

• Cultural v. Institutional factors– Traditional cultures =

• fewer women in ‘modern’ careers• fewer women candidates• less recruitment of women candidates