Women legislators and economic performance

Thushyanthan Baskaran, Sonia Bhalotra (), Brian Min and Yogesh Uppal
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Sonia Bhalotra: University of Warwick
Brian Min: University of Michigan
Yogesh Uppal: Youngstown State University

Journal of Economic Growth, 2024, vol. 29, issue 2, No 1, 214 pages

Abstract: Abstract There has been a phenomenal global increase in the proportion of women in politics in the last two decades, but there is no evidence of how this has influenced economic performance. We investigate this using data on competitive elections to India’s state assemblies, leveraging close elections to isolate causal effects. We find significantly higher growth in economic activity in constituencies that elect women and no evidence of negative spillovers to neighbouring male-led constituencies, consistent with net growth. Probing mechanisms, we find evidence consistent with women legislators being more efficacious, less corrupt and less vulnerable to political opportunism.

Keywords: Political representation; Identity; India; Gender; Women legislators; Economic growth; Luminosity; Corruption; Roads; Close elections; Electoral incentives (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 D78 H44 H73 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Related works:
Working Paper: Women Legislators and Economic Performance (2021)
Working Paper: Women Legislators and Economic Performance (2021)
Working Paper: Women Legislators and Economic Performance (2021)
Working Paper: Women Legislators and Economic Performance (2018)
Working Paper: Women legislators and economic performance (2018)
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DOI: 10.1007/s10887-023-09236-6

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