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GENDER GAP IN THE 103rd CONGRESS
Author(s) -
Marshall Marcia A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
southeastern political review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1747-1346
pISSN - 0730-2177
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-1346.1996.tb00443.x
Subject(s) - legislature , voting , gender gap , political science , house of representatives , public administration , criminology , demographic economics , politics , law , psychology , economics
The 1992 election brought a record number of women to the US Congress. The object of this research is to determine whether the increased number of women had an impact on legislative outcomes. This paper tests the idea that the women of the 103rd Congress voted differently than their male colleagues. The findings indicate that there is a gender gap in the voting behavior of male and female members of Congress, particularly on legislative issues where women have been found to be more liberal than men, such as social policy, defense, and gun control. Results also show that there is a women's voting bloc that often crosses party lines.