Can Effective Policy Implementation Alter Political Selection? Evidence from Female Legislators in India

S Anukriti, Rossella Calvi and Abhishek Chakravarty

No 18752, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: Can effective policy implementation change political selection by inducing voters to prioritize leader competence over other traits, such as gender? We answer this question by examining the impact of a successful school-expansion program on the likelihood of women being elected to state legislatures in India. We show that the program increased voter prioritization of leader competence over gender, boosting the share of women among candidates and state parliamentarians and the overall capability of elected officials. These findings are consistent with the predictions of a model of candidate self-selection where voters trade-off candidate competence with their bias against female leaders.

JEL-codes: I24 J16 O12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-01
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