Women At/On the Ballot: Examining the Effects of Tokenism and Quotas

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Date

2008

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Mershon Center for International Security Studies

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Abstract

By 2006, about 40 countries had legislated or constitutionally mandated gender quotas for candidates running for seats in the national legislature, and many more political parties had self-imposed such rules. Proponents of quotas hail this trend, arguing they are necessary to achieve truly democratic forms of representation. Others, though, charge that any form of quotas conflicts with the basic tenets of liberal democracy. All too absent from the debate is an understanding of if and how quotas actually change political outcomes. Christina Xydias aims to fill this gap by investigating whether female legislators pursue different policy agendas than their male counterparts, and if so, under what circumstances?

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Mershon Center for International Security Studies Graduate Student Research 2007-08

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gender quotas in Greek politics, gender quotas in German politics, gender quotas in French politics, 1976 Bundestag plenary debates

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