Can Gender Quotas in Candidate Lists Empower Women? Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design

Manuel Bagues and Pamela Campa ()

No 12149, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: We provide a comprehensive analysis of the short- and medium-term effects of gender quotas in candidate lists using evidence from Spain, where quotas were introduced in 2007 in municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants, and were extended in 2011 to municipalities with more than 3,000 inhabitants. Using a Regression Discontinuity Design, we find that quotas raise the share of women among council members but they do not affect the quality of politicians, as measured by their education attainment and by the number of votes obtained. Moreover, within three rounds of elections, women fail to reach powerful positions such as party leader or mayor, and we do not observe any statistically or economically significant changes in the size and composition of public finances.

Keywords: Gender quotas in candidate lists; Regression discontinuity design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 H72 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm, nep-eur, nep-gen, nep-hrm and nep-lab
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (39)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Can gender quotas in candidate lists empower women? Evidence from a regression discontinuity design (2021)
Working Paper: Can Gender Quotas in Candidate Lists Empower Women? Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design (2017)
Working Paper: Can Gender Quotas in Candidate Lists Empower Women? Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design
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