Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SUCCESS (Gender-Gap in Political Endurance: a novel political inclusion theory)
Période du rapport: 2023-04-01 au 2024-09-30
Democracies are under pressure worldwide. The political landscape is rapidly changing, with new parties emerging and established ones declining as voters turn away from traditional options. A key criticism from new political actors is that a political elite clings to power, stifling the emergence of new ideas. Despite global skepticism toward political elites, there has been minimal research on whether long tenure is common in parliaments and why long tenure is a source of power in elected legislatures. If long tenure is indeed a source of power, it is crucial to identify who is most likely to have extended legislative careers and what factors contribute to making the group of senior members more diverse. Our research demonstrates a significant gender gap in political endurance: women's careers as elected representatives tend to end sooner than men's, and the share of women among the most senior members of parliaments is low. SUCCESS argues that understanding who have long political careers and why this is a source of power is of utmost importance for the quality and legitimacy of democratic processes and therefore demands scholarly attention.
Studying the causes and consequences of gender gaps in political seniority is vital for society because we need high-quality political representation. Voters are increasingly concerned with who governs them, and we need to develop analytical tools to study how, when, and if diversity in political presence affects power dynamics in elected office. Long tenure can provide some representatives with competence and knowledge that newer representatives lack. We need to develop more sophisticated theories on the consequences of this for political outcomes and cultures.
SUCCESS investigates the multifaceted relationships between: (a) the agency of elected representatives, i.e. their strategies for getting re-elected; (b) popular opinions about representatives’ gender, political experience, and career strategies; and (c) the specific institutions and contexts that underpin gender gaps in political endurance across different times, regions, and political systems. The overall objective is to advance a novel theory of political inclusion in 21st-century democracies that explains why, how, and under what conditions gender gaps in political endurance occur, why they matter, and what can be done to close the gap. SUCCESS thus offers a comprehensive perspective, highlighting the interconnections between these aspects in a novel theory of political inclusion. Rather than focusing on what excludes women from political office, the project explores what contributes to their success.
Studying the causes and consequences of gender gaps in political seniority is vital for society because we need high-quality political representation. Voters are increasingly concerned with who governs them, and we need to develop analytical tools to study how, when, and if diversity in political presence affects power dynamics in elected office. Long tenure can provide some representatives with competence and knowledge that newer representatives lack. We need to develop more sophisticated theories on the consequences of this for political outcomes and cultures.
SUCCESS investigates the multifaceted relationships between: (a) the agency of elected representatives, i.e. their strategies for getting re-elected; (b) popular opinions about representatives’ gender, political experience, and career strategies; and (c) the specific institutions and contexts that underpin gender gaps in political endurance across different times, regions, and political systems. The overall objective is to advance a novel theory of political inclusion in 21st-century democracies that explains why, how, and under what conditions gender gaps in political endurance occur, why they matter, and what can be done to close the gap. SUCCESS thus offers a comprehensive perspective, highlighting the interconnections between these aspects in a novel theory of political inclusion. Rather than focusing on what excludes women from political office, the project explores what contributes to their success.
Task 1: Empirical Testing of the Project's Main Hypotheses
The primary objective of Task 1 is to empirically test the hypothesis that a gender gap exists in political seniority across various time periods, countries, and political systems. Our research has provided strong evidence supporting this hypothesis, revealing a significant gender gap among the most senior members of legislatures in Western democracies. The gender gaps have been shrinking the last decades, but they are still large. Interestingly, in a country like Norway, where the gender gap in the National Assembly is relatively small, we observe larger gaps in local assemblies among the most senior representatives. Gender is also significantly affecting the number of wins local representatives have accumulated, so that being woman is negatively associated with number of wins. This work has also inspired us to study the drivers of high seniority levels in western democracies in more general and we have identified certain institutional features that make it conducive for representatives to return multiple times. Two publications on this finding have already been released, with more in progress.
To test this key hypothesis, we engaged in extensive conceptual discussions with other scholars to define the concepts that best articulate our study and to develop precise definitions and measures of seniority, an area previously underexplored. We constructed a comprehensive dataset containing individual-level data on representatives from 22 countries over several decades. We are grateful to the scholars who shared their data and to the civil servants who provided data in some countries. Our aim is to make this dataset openly accessible to other researchers towards the end of the project and to build an index of gender gaps in political seniority. Additionally, we have examined seniority levels without a gender lens to explain differences across countries and years. While some countries maintain high levels of senior parliamentarians despite recent electoral shocks, others see a decline in seniors amid debates on professionalism and elitism in politics.
Task 2: Building a Theory on Tenure Length as a Source of Power
Task 2 focuses on developing a theoretical framework explaining how and why tenure length in elected assemblies is a source of power. To gain better insights, we conducted interviews with parliamentarians in France, Italy, Norway, and Algeria. The dynamics of power in legislatures are particularly well-illustrated in France. Additionally, we conducted a survey among representatives at all levels of government in Norway and are analyzing several hundred open-ended responses regarding attributes associated with long tenure. Although the question of power is partly addressed in papers under publication for Task 1, papers that look more into his will be presented at conferences in Europe and the United States in the upcoming months (Summer and Autumn 2024).
Task 3: Explaining the Drivers of Gender Gaps in Political Careers
Task 3 seeks to explain the factors driving gender gaps in political careers, a topic that has garnered significant scholarly attention in gender and politics. Our contribution to ongoing debates emphasizes that even small gender differences in career length can significantly impact the share of women among the most senior members of elected assemblies. We employ mixed methods to develop theories on how institutional, cultural, strategic, and personal factors affect career length. Recently, we conducted several survey experiments to understand the mechanisms sustaining and ending political careers. Qualitative interviews have been carried out in Norway, France, Italy, and Algeria, with a follow-up study planned for the UK in 2025.
Task 4: Developing Theories on the Importance of Gender Gaps in Political Seniority
Task 4 aims to develop theories on why gender gaps in political seniority matter. While task 1 and 2 focus on explaining why gender gaps occurs, this section expands the work on power and investigates the consequences of gender gaps. Hence, if we find in task 2 that term length and having accumulated enough terms to be considered a senior is a source of power, then what is the consequence of gender gaps in term length?
This task then requires that we build on our own and existing work that explains why tenure length is a source of power. By understanding the implications of these gaps, we can better assess their impact on the quality and legitimacy of democratic processes. This is an activity that is planned for 2025 and 2026, although work on the other tasks put us in a position to carry out this type of research.
The primary objective of Task 1 is to empirically test the hypothesis that a gender gap exists in political seniority across various time periods, countries, and political systems. Our research has provided strong evidence supporting this hypothesis, revealing a significant gender gap among the most senior members of legislatures in Western democracies. The gender gaps have been shrinking the last decades, but they are still large. Interestingly, in a country like Norway, where the gender gap in the National Assembly is relatively small, we observe larger gaps in local assemblies among the most senior representatives. Gender is also significantly affecting the number of wins local representatives have accumulated, so that being woman is negatively associated with number of wins. This work has also inspired us to study the drivers of high seniority levels in western democracies in more general and we have identified certain institutional features that make it conducive for representatives to return multiple times. Two publications on this finding have already been released, with more in progress.
To test this key hypothesis, we engaged in extensive conceptual discussions with other scholars to define the concepts that best articulate our study and to develop precise definitions and measures of seniority, an area previously underexplored. We constructed a comprehensive dataset containing individual-level data on representatives from 22 countries over several decades. We are grateful to the scholars who shared their data and to the civil servants who provided data in some countries. Our aim is to make this dataset openly accessible to other researchers towards the end of the project and to build an index of gender gaps in political seniority. Additionally, we have examined seniority levels without a gender lens to explain differences across countries and years. While some countries maintain high levels of senior parliamentarians despite recent electoral shocks, others see a decline in seniors amid debates on professionalism and elitism in politics.
Task 2: Building a Theory on Tenure Length as a Source of Power
Task 2 focuses on developing a theoretical framework explaining how and why tenure length in elected assemblies is a source of power. To gain better insights, we conducted interviews with parliamentarians in France, Italy, Norway, and Algeria. The dynamics of power in legislatures are particularly well-illustrated in France. Additionally, we conducted a survey among representatives at all levels of government in Norway and are analyzing several hundred open-ended responses regarding attributes associated with long tenure. Although the question of power is partly addressed in papers under publication for Task 1, papers that look more into his will be presented at conferences in Europe and the United States in the upcoming months (Summer and Autumn 2024).
Task 3: Explaining the Drivers of Gender Gaps in Political Careers
Task 3 seeks to explain the factors driving gender gaps in political careers, a topic that has garnered significant scholarly attention in gender and politics. Our contribution to ongoing debates emphasizes that even small gender differences in career length can significantly impact the share of women among the most senior members of elected assemblies. We employ mixed methods to develop theories on how institutional, cultural, strategic, and personal factors affect career length. Recently, we conducted several survey experiments to understand the mechanisms sustaining and ending political careers. Qualitative interviews have been carried out in Norway, France, Italy, and Algeria, with a follow-up study planned for the UK in 2025.
Task 4: Developing Theories on the Importance of Gender Gaps in Political Seniority
Task 4 aims to develop theories on why gender gaps in political seniority matter. While task 1 and 2 focus on explaining why gender gaps occurs, this section expands the work on power and investigates the consequences of gender gaps. Hence, if we find in task 2 that term length and having accumulated enough terms to be considered a senior is a source of power, then what is the consequence of gender gaps in term length?
This task then requires that we build on our own and existing work that explains why tenure length is a source of power. By understanding the implications of these gaps, we can better assess their impact on the quality and legitimacy of democratic processes. This is an activity that is planned for 2025 and 2026, although work on the other tasks put us in a position to carry out this type of research.
We have advanced the current debate on the politics of presence by exploring how and why power can remain unevenly distributed even in contexts of gender parity.
Our research has provided a clearer understanding of what constitutes a parliamentary elite, identifying its characteristics and defining its boundaries.
We have elucidated how and why tenure length serves as a source of power within legislative bodies.
We have made significant strides in integrating gender perspectives into organizational theory by initiating a debate on achieving true inclusion of women: Can equality be attained if women enter existing organizational hierarchies in equal numbers to men, or does true equality require a fundamentally new approach to organizing parliaments?
Our research has provided a clearer understanding of what constitutes a parliamentary elite, identifying its characteristics and defining its boundaries.
We have elucidated how and why tenure length serves as a source of power within legislative bodies.
We have made significant strides in integrating gender perspectives into organizational theory by initiating a debate on achieving true inclusion of women: Can equality be attained if women enter existing organizational hierarchies in equal numbers to men, or does true equality require a fundamentally new approach to organizing parliaments?