Gender Penalties in Autocratic Bureaucracies -- Motherhood, Loyalty Signals and Career Paths in the GDR

• In Event: Political Economy of Meritocracy and Bureaucratic Organization

Brief Overview

Autocratic bureaucracies tend to be male-dominated. Using data on 180,000 GDR cadres, we find a strong motherhood penalty: women’s promotions drop after childbirth as reduced regime engagement limits loyalty signaling.

Authors

• Jan Henryk Pierskalla, The Ohio State University, Main Campus

• Alexander De Juan, University of Osnabruck

• Felix Haass, Humboldt University of Berlin