Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T11:10:27.182Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Does the Descriptive Representation of Women Matter? A Comparison of Gendered Differences in Political Attitudes between Voters and Representatives in the European Parliament

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 May 2016

Caroline McEvoy
Caroline McEvoy*
Affiliation:
Trinity College Dublin
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Studies expressing concern over the continued underparticipation of women in politics rest on the assumption that increasing the number of female representatives in democracies leads to greater substantive representation of women's policy interests. This article advances the discussion by conducting a comparative analysis of men's and women's attitudes across 27 countries in the European Union. Using the European Election and Candidate Studies 2009, I find that differences between the policy preferences of men and women in the EU do exist and that these differences are replicated between male and female candidates in European elections. The findings provide empirical support for the argument in favor of a greater gender balance in European policy-making institutions.

Type
Research Article
Information
Politics & Gender , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , December 2016 , pp. 754 - 780
Copyright
Copyright © The Women and Politics Research Section of the American Political Science Association 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bartels, Larry. 2003. “Democracy with Attitudes.” In Electoral Democracy, eds. McKuen, Michael B. and Rabinowitz, George. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 48–82.Google Scholar
Beaman, Lori, Chattopadhyay, Raghabendra, Duflo, Esther, Pande, Rohini, and Topalova, Petia. 2009. “Powerful Women: Does Exposure Reduce Bias?” Quarterly Journal of Economics 124 (4): 1497–1540.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beckwith, Karen, and Cowell-Meyers, Kimberly. 2007. “Sheer Numbers: Critical Representation Thresholds and Women's Political Representation.” Perspectives on Politics 5 (3): 555–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bratton, Kathleen A. 2005. “Critical Mass Theory Revisited: The Behavior and Success of Token Women in State Legislatures.” Politics & Gender 1 (1): 97–125.Google Scholar
Bratton, Kathleen A., and Ray, Leonard P.. 2002. “Descriptive Representation, Policy Outcomes, and Municipal Day-care Coverage in Norway.” American Journal of Political Science 46 (2): 428–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, Rosie, Sarah, Childs, and Lovenduski, Joni. 2009. “Do Women Need Women Representatives?” British Journal of Political Science 40 (1): 171–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Celis, Karen. 2009. “Substantive Representation of Women (and Improving It): What It Is and Should Be About?” Comparative European Politics 7: 95–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chong, Dennis, and Druckman, James N.. 2007. “Framing Theory.” American Political Science Review 101 (4): 637–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowell-Meyers, Kimberly, and Langbein, Laura. 2009. “Linking Women's Descriptive and Substantive Representation in the United States.” Politics & Gender 5 (4): 491–518.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dahl, Robert. 1971. Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Dietz, Mary. 2003. “Current Controversies in Feminist Theory.” Annual Review of Political Science 6: 399–431.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dovi, Suzanne. 2007. “Theorizing Women's Representation in the United States.” Politics & Gender 3 (3): 297–319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esarey, Justin, Salmon, Timothy, and Barrilleaux, Charles. 2012. “What Motivates Political Preferences? Self-Interest, Ideology, and Fairness in a Laboratory Democracy.” Economic Enquiry 50 (3): 604–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Footitt, Hilary. 1998. Women, Europe and the New Language of Politics. London: Continuum.Google Scholar
Freedman, Jane. 2002. “Women in the European Parliament.” Parliamentary Affairs 55 (1): 179–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Htun, Mala, and Power, Timothy J.. 2006. “Gender, Parties, and Support for Equal Rights in the Brazilian Congress.” Latin American Politics and Society 48 (4): 83–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kanter, Rosabeth Moss. 1977. “Some Effects of Proportion of Group Life: Skewed Sex Ratios and Responses to Token Women.” American Journal of Sociology 82 (2): 965–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kantola, Johanna. 2009. “Women's Political Representation in the European Union.” Journal of Legislative Studies 15 (4): 379–400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karp, Jeffrey A., and Banducci, Susan A.. 2008. “When Politics Is Not Just a Man's Game: Women's Representation and Political Engagement.” Electoral Studies 27 (1): 105–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawless, Jennifer L., and Fox, Richard L.. 2005. It Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Lefkofridi, Zoe, and Juan Casado-Asensio, Juan. 2011. “Representation in the European Union: Congruence between Citizens and Elites in the EP's Two-Level Setting.” Perspectives on European Politics and Society 12 (2): 161–79.Google Scholar
Lipset, Seymour M., and Rokkan, Stein. 1967. Party Systems and Voter Alignments. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
Lovenduski, Joni, and Norris, Pippa. 2003. “Westminster Women: The Politics of Presence.” Political Studies 51 (1): 84–102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mansbridge, Jane. 1999. “Should Blacks Represent Blacks and Women Represent Women? A Contingent ‘Yes.’” Journal of Politics 61 (3): 628–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mansbridge, Jane. 2003. “Rethinking Representation.” American Political Science Review 97 (4): 515–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mansbridge, Jane. 2005. “Quota Problems: Combating the Dangers of Essentialism.” Politics & Gender 1 (4): 622–38.Google Scholar
Mattila, Mikko, and Raunio, Tapio. 2006. “Cautious Voters and Supportive Parties: Opinion Congruence between Voters and Parties on the EU Dimension.” European Union Politics 7 (4): 427–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McElroy, Gail, and Marsh, Michael. 2010. “Candidate Gender and Voter Choice: Analysis from a Multimember Preferential Voting System.” Political Research Quarterly 63 (4): 822–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, Anne. 1995. The Politics of Presence: The Political Representation of Gender, Ethnicity, and Race. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Pitkin, Hanna Fenichel. 1967. The Concept of Representation. Berkeley: University of California Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poggione, Sarah. 2004. “Exploring Gender Differences in State Legislators’ Policy Preferences.” Political Research Quarterly 57 (2): 305–14.Google Scholar
Reingold, Beth. 2000. Representing Women: Sex, Gender, and Legislative Behavior in Arizona and California. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.Google Scholar
Schmitt, Hermann, and Thomassen, Jacques. 2000. “Dynamic Representation: The Case of European Integration.” European Union Politics 1 (3): 318–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwindt-Bayer, Leslie A., and Mishler, William. 2005. “An Integrated Model of Women's Representation.” Journal of Politics 67 (2): 407–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seltzer, Richard, Newman, Jody, and Leighton, Melissa V.. 1997. Sex as a Political Variable. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swers, Michele L. 1998. “Are Women More Likely to Vote for Women's Issue Bills than their Male Colleagues?” Legislative Studies Quarterly 23 (3): 435–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swers, Michele L. 2002. The Difference Women Make: The Policy Impact of Women in Congress. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, Sue. 1991. “The Impact of Women on State Legislative Policies.” Journal of Politics 53 (4): 958–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, Sue. 1994. How Women Legislate. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Van der Eijk, Cees, Van der Brug, Wouter, and Franklin, Mark N.. 1999. “Policy Preferences and Party Choice.” In Political Representation and Legitimacy in the European Union, eds. Schmitt, Hermann and Thomassen, Jacques. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 161–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verba, Sidney. 2003. “Would the Dream of Political Equality Turn Out to Be a Nightmare?” Perspectives on Politics 1 (4): 663–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wängnerud, Lena. 2000. “Testing the Politics of Presence: Women's Representation in the Swedish Riksdag.” Scandinavian Political Studies 23 (1): 67–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wängnerud, Lena. 2009. “Women in Parliaments: Descriptive and Substantive Representation.” Annual Review of Political Science 12: 51–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, Iris Marion. 2000. Inclusion and Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

McEvoy supplementary material

Online appendix

Download McEvoy supplementary material(File)
File 13.1 KB
Supplementary material: File

McEvoy supplementary material 2

Abstract

Download McEvoy supplementary material 2(File)
File 14 KB