Quotas and their effectiveness in promoting descriptive representation

Abstract

Under what circumstances do quota reforms increase women’s descriptive representation in politics? Which women, and in which municipalities or districts, are more or less likely to get into political office after a quota reform? Under what circumstances do quotas lead political parties to select women candidates, and which political parties are more likely to support gender quotas? This panel combines studies on Poland, Israel, Bolivia and India to address these questions. The papers investigate the effects of quota reforms on women’s descriptive representation by investigating (1) voter behavior and candidate selection and placement in Polish parliamentary elections, (2) the effectiveness of financial incentives to comply with gender quotas in municipal elections in Israel, (3) the experience of indigenous women candidates across districts with different institutional designs in Bolivia, (4) the role of parties in gatekeeping women from entering politics in India, and (5) whether and why people favor women’s representation and affirmative action in Tanzania.

Title	Details
Economic Inequality and the Uptake of Incentive-Based Gender Quotas	View Paper Details
Gender Bias in Party Gatekeeping: Evidence from Polish Parliamentary Elections, 1991–2023	View Paper Details
Between Quotas and Customs: Institutional Designs and Indigenous Women’s Political Inclusion	View Paper Details
The Gendered Reality of Political Parties: Quota Promises vs. Candidate Selection in India	View Paper Details
Female Representation and Distribution of Political Power: Preferences and perceptions fromTanzania	View Paper Details