The gendered effects of electoral institutions : political engagement and participation / Miki Caul Kittilson, Leslie A. Schwindt-Bayer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kittilson, Miki Caul.

Contributor:

Schwindt-Bayer, Leslie A.

Series:

Comparative politics (Oxford University Press)

Comparative politics

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women politicians.

Women legislators.

Political participation--Sex differences.

Political participation.

Physical Description:

xii, 175 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2012.

Summary:

Comparative Politics is a series for students, teachers, and researchers of political science that deals with contemporary government and politics. Global in scope, books in the series are characterized by a stress on comparative analysis and strong methodological rigour. The series is published in association with the European Consortium for Political Research. For more information visit: www.ecprnet.eu

The Comparative Politics Series is edited by Professor David M. Farrell, School of Politics and International Relations, University College Dublin and Kenneth Carty, Professor of Political Science, University of British Columbia.

In most countries around the world, women continue to lag behind men in an array of political orientations and activities. Understanding why this is the case and why some countries have been more successful than others at moderating gender gaps in political involvement is imperative for producing stronger and more representative democracies. Cultural, socioeconomic, and political factors explain some of the gender gaps in political involvement, but not all of them. In this book, the authors argue that electoral institutions attenuate gender gaps in mass political engagement and participation by drawing women, an 'undertapped' constituency, into the democratic process. Using cross-national and country specific analyses, the authors show that electoral institutions play a complementary and significant role in reducing gender gaps in political involvement. The cross-national analyses draw on comparative survey data from a wide range and large number of countries. The case studies draw out the processes underlying changes in political attitudes and behaviors with evidence from four country studies: New Zealand, Russia, France, and Uruguay. All four countries have altered their electoral institutions, either through largescale reform of the electoral system itself or adopting gender quotas, allowing the authors to examine patterns of political involvement pre-and post-reform. The book finds that inclusive electoral systems that produce more proportional electoral outcomes have larger effects on women's political engagement and participation than on men's. Gender quotas also mediate women's engagement and participation, but to a lesser degree. On the whole, the book concludes that electoral rules designed to promote social inclusion in parliament are critical for promoting social group inclusion among the electorate. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Introduction: Gender Gaps on a Global Stage 1

2 A Theory of Electoral Institutions and Gender 10

3 Political Engagement, Institutions, and the Gender Gap 26

4 Political Participation, Institutions, and the Gender Gap 60

5 Electoral Reform and the Gender Gap in New Zealand and Russia 85

6 Gender Quotas and the Gender Gap in France and Uruguay 105

7 Conclusions: The Gendered Effects of Electoral Institutions 125.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [153]-165) and index.

ISBN:

9780199608607

0199608601

OCLC:

797975143