TY - JOUR
T1 - When Do Männerparteien Elect Women? Radical Right Populist Parties and Strategic Descriptive Representation
AU - Weeks, Ana Catalano
AU - Meguid, Bonnie M.
AU - Kittilson, Miki Caul
AU - Coffé, Hilde
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the American Political Science Association.
PY - 2023/5/22
Y1 - 2023/5/22
N2 - Radical right populist (RRP) parties are often described as Männerparteien, predominantly led by, represented by, and supported by men. Yet recently, these parties have elected more women. Under what conditions do we see this increase in women MPs? This paper presents a novel argument of strategic descriptive representation: electorally struggling RRP parties with large gender gaps in voter support increase their proportion of women MPs to attract previously untapped women voters. To test this argument, we develop the most comprehensive dataset to date on women MPs and gender differences in voter support across Europe and over time, covering 187 parties in 30 countries from 1985 to 2018. Our analyses confirm that RRP parties engage in strategic descriptive representation when they are both struggling electorally and suffering from a gender gap in support. Additional models reveal that this tactic is largely unique to RRP parties.
AB - Radical right populist (RRP) parties are often described as Männerparteien, predominantly led by, represented by, and supported by men. Yet recently, these parties have elected more women. Under what conditions do we see this increase in women MPs? This paper presents a novel argument of strategic descriptive representation: electorally struggling RRP parties with large gender gaps in voter support increase their proportion of women MPs to attract previously untapped women voters. To test this argument, we develop the most comprehensive dataset to date on women MPs and gender differences in voter support across Europe and over time, covering 187 parties in 30 countries from 1985 to 2018. Our analyses confirm that RRP parties engage in strategic descriptive representation when they are both struggling electorally and suffering from a gender gap in support. Additional models reveal that this tactic is largely unique to RRP parties.
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U2 - 10.1017/S0003055422000107
DO - 10.1017/S0003055422000107
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85127527303
SN - 0003-0554
VL - 117
SP - 421
EP - 438
JO - American Political Science Review
JF - American Political Science Review
IS - 2
ER -