Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
Abstract
This research examines whether or not electing women to the House of Representatives produces substantive representation for women in Congress. The analysis is based on members’ voting records on gender-related legislation. I controlled for the gender, seniority, and ideology of members of the House. Ideology was the only significant predictor in the model. These results imply that gender is not a driving force behind voting for female members. It is possible that ideology drowns out other predictive variables in the model. Further research should include a longitudinal study of the House for multiple sessions of Congress, not just the 110th Congress. A study that incorporates more votes and shows a pattern over time will be a better assessment of whether or not gender affects voting.
Recommended Citation
Kaplan, Samantha (2010) "Gender as a Dimension of Voting in the U.S. House," Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 15Available at: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/respublica/vol15/iss1/11