| ID | 178987 |
| Title Proper | From Thin to Thick Representation |
| Other Title Information | how a Female President Shapes Female Parliamentary Behavior |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Wahman, Michael |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | How does the symbolic power of a female president affect female parliamentary behavior? Whereas female descriptive representation has increased around the world, women parliamentarians still face significant discrimination and stereotyping, inhibiting their ability to have a real voice and offer “thick” representation to women voters. We leverage the case of Malawi, a case where the presidency changed hands from a man to a woman through a truly exogenous shock, to study the effect of a female president on female parliamentary behavior. Drawing on unique parliamentary transcripts data, we argue and show that women MPs under a female president become empowered and less confined to stereotypical gendered issue-ownership patterns, leading to a significant increase in female MP speech making. Our results directly address theories of symbolic representation by focusing particularly on intraelite role-model effects. |
| `In' analytical Note | American Political Science Review Vol. 115, No.2; May 2021: p.360 - 378 |
| Journal Source | American Political Science Review 2021-06 115, 2 |
| Key Words | Thick Representation ; Female Parliamentary Behavior |