Demokratische Beteiligung und Staatsausgaben: Die Auswirkungen des Frauenstimmrechts

Alois Stutzer () and Lukas Kienast

Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), 2005, vol. 141, issue IV, pages 617-650

Abstract: In this paper, we study the effect of women's suffrage on government expenditure in Swiss cantons. Based on the institutionally induced change in the electorate, we analyse the relationship between politically represented preferences and the outcome of the political process. Women, on average, still belong to lower income classes than men. According to theories on government size, women's participation is therefore expected to increase demand for public services. In contrast to this hypothesis, we estimate a negative effect of women's suffrage on the development of total expenditure. Thereby, it is possible to control for general trends in the economy, as well as in society because suffrage was introduced in different years in Swiss cantons. We discuss possible explanations like fiscally conservative women or the interaction of women's suffrage and direct democratic institutions.

Keywords: Staatsausgaben; Frauenstimmrecht; Medianwähler; Stimmbeteiligung (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 H23 H50 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005
View list of references View citations in EconPapers

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sjes.ch/papers/2005-IV-5.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Demokratische Beteiligung und Staatsausgaben: Die Auswirkungen des Frauenstimmrechts
Working Paper: Demokratische Beteiligung und Staatsausgaben: Die Auswirkungen des Frauenstimmrechts (2004)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Access Statistics for this article

Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES) is edited by Klaus Neusser

More articles in Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES) from Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES)
Contact information at EDIRC.
Series data maintained by Peter Steiner ().