Already Gone: Female Retention in State Legislatures

Abstract

Recently there has been a great deal of attention dedicated to female candidates and the increasing rate at which females secure elective office. While recent scholars have examined the importance of recruiting more females to office, there is less emphasis on the retention of female legislators. The key to growing female representation in state legislatures rests in both the recruitment and retention of women. We theorize that variation in institutional and personal support influences the rate of female retention in state legislatures. To test this, we examine turnover from all 50 states to better understand the barriers to service and the ways they may be mitigated. We offer this analysis as information to create a better and more supportive environment for our female legislators.

Take (Her) to the Limit: Term Limits do Not Diminish Women's Overperformance in Legislative Office

“…Qualitative and case study evaluations of how term limits shape legislative behavior could supply an opportunity to understand how term limits shape men's (but not women's) behavior. While research suggests that men and women are equally likely to express progressive ambition and run for another office (Butcher and Haynes 2022; Herrick and Thomas 2005), research might examine if this choice has divergent effects on some legislative behavior. Future studies might also examine how institutional reforms like restrictions on lobbying, remote and proxy voting for members, and voting restrictions in many states produce gendered outcomes in elite behavior.…”