TY - JOUR
T1 - Speaking for the underrepresented in the house of representatives
T2 - Voicing women's interests in a partisan era
AU - Pearson, Kathryn
AU - Dancey, Logan
PY - 2011/12
Y1 - 2011/12
N2 - We ask whether women's descriptive representation in Congress enhances women's substantive representation through speechmaking on the House floor. Much of the research on women's substantive representation has focused on members' votes for and sponsorship of "women's issues" legislation. We depart from this research by systematically analyzing how members' gender and partisan identities affect gendered rhetoric in their floor speeches. In an era marked by significant increases in the number of congresswomen and partisan polarization, understanding the interactive effect of gender and partisanship on women's representation is particularly important. In an analysis of more than 30,000 speeches from 1993 to 2008, we find that when members speak about issues of their choosing during one-minute speeches, and during specific legislative debates over the most important policies considered on the House floor, congresswomen in both parties are significantly more likely than men to discuss women, enhancing women's representation.
AB - We ask whether women's descriptive representation in Congress enhances women's substantive representation through speechmaking on the House floor. Much of the research on women's substantive representation has focused on members' votes for and sponsorship of "women's issues" legislation. We depart from this research by systematically analyzing how members' gender and partisan identities affect gendered rhetoric in their floor speeches. In an era marked by significant increases in the number of congresswomen and partisan polarization, understanding the interactive effect of gender and partisanship on women's representation is particularly important. In an analysis of more than 30,000 speeches from 1993 to 2008, we find that when members speak about issues of their choosing during one-minute speeches, and during specific legislative debates over the most important policies considered on the House floor, congresswomen in both parties are significantly more likely than men to discuss women, enhancing women's representation.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84867445902&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84867445902&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S1743923X1100033X
DO - 10.1017/S1743923X1100033X
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:84867445902
SN - 1743-923X
VL - 7
SP - 493
EP - 519
JO - Politics and Gender
JF - Politics and Gender
IS - 4
ER -