The Gender Effect: How Female Mayors Affect Local Politics

• In Event: Gender and Politics in Developing Countries

Abstract

Women’s movements worldwide have launched a series of mobilizations in the last few years demanding more rights and political representation, spurring a debate about the role of women in politics and the policies necessary to level the playing field for women to compete for office. As a result, understanding the persistence of gender differences in political participation and officeholding is key to assess the causes of female underrepresentation in politics. Extant research on gender and politics has explored the effect of having a female politician in power on a number of policy outcomes, particularly social spending. Nonetheless, we know less on how gender affects women’s voting behavior and bureaucratic recruitment. Analyzing a dataset from Chilean municipalities and applying a regression discontinuity design in close electoral races, we explore the relationship between gender and these outcomes at the municipal level. Specifically, we investigate the effect of having a female mayor on the number of women hired as staff during a municipal term. Furthermore, taking advantage of the fact that in Chile women and men vote at separate polling booths, we examine as to whether female turnout and vote for female candidates increase in municipalities ruled by women.

Authors

• Giancarlo Visconti, Purdue University

• Carla Alberti, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

• Diego Diaz-Rioseco, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile