Story at a glance
- Female legislators remain underrepresented in U.S. politics, despite making strides in recent years.
- For those who are elected to office, new research suggests female representatives receive more demands from constituents compared with male lawmakers.
- Data indicate the trend of women completing more unpaid work extends into the political world.
Despite women making significant gains in U.S. political representation, those who are elected to office are asked to do more by their constituents compared with male representatives.
That’s according to new research out of Washington University in St. Louis, which found female legislators are, on average, 10 percent more likely to be contacted by constituents. These representatives also received 14 percent more issue requests per constituent they contact.
The findings underscore that the trend of women completing more unpaid work than men extends into politics, authors wrote.
Women are still underrepresented in the U.S. political landscape, as they make up more than a quarter of all current Congressional members. Right now, 147 of 535 members are female, compared with 72 elected for the 2001-03 session.
To better understand constituents’ demands of female legislators, researchers carried out a field experiment in which politicians sent out surveys asking about top issues.
America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.
The study was conducted in partnership with Republican and Democratic state legislators in multimember districts and randomized whether individuals were contacted by their male or female representatives.
Each pair of politicians studied represented the same set of constituents, were members of the same party, were of the same race and had similar positions on bills put before the legislature.
A total of 1,190 constituents responded to the surveys. Popular issues raised included education, roads, and support for small businesses.
The increase in workload demands was reflected in a variety of issues reported by constituents, including those typically considered “women’s issues,” like education and health. Of all the issues assessed, women were not asked to do any less on any topic.
Previous research indicates female representatives are typically more active lawmakers than men, in that they introduce more bills, speak more during plenary sessions and expend more effort on constituency service, explained co-author Daniel Butler, professor and associate chair of political science in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis in a statement.
However, female lawmakers may be doing more because they are asked to by constituents.
“The potential upside of receiving more issue requests is that female legislators may be learning more about their constituents, allowing them to be in a stronger position to present their interests,” Butler said. “However, that must be balanced against the pressures of being asked to do more.”
The study did not conclude why individuals ask more of female representatives, but Butler hypothesizes gender stereotypes may play a role.
“Voters may see women as less qualified to handle the male-dominant political work and feel the need to push them harder,” Butler noted.
“Alternatively, voters may see women as being more willing to act on requests they receive or as caring more about others’ well-being. If constituents seek help from legislators who they think are more likely to listen and care, these stereotypes would make them more likely to contact female legislators.”
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
