Gender Matters: Female Policymakers' Influence in Industrialized Nations

(Hardback)

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Valerie O'Regan examines the relationship between female policymakers and policy outputs. Her primary concern is whether female policymakers are associated with the advancement of women's issues in the policy realm. Although this question is important in the study of representation theory, there has been surprisingly little research on the topic, and it has tended to provide limited, often contradictory results. O'Regan's research design and analysis utilizes time-series, cross-sectional procedures to examine the effects of the independent variables on the dependent variables over time, across countries. Data from 22 countries during the period of 1960-1994 were analyzed in two separate segments. The first analysis involved three general policy measures that address two types of women's issue policiesemployment and social. The second analysis involved two measures for policy comprehensiveness employing equal wage legislation. The findings for the first analysis are positive regarding the relationship between the presence of female policymakers and the presence of women's issue policies. The findings for the second analysis highlight the difficulties of developing valid measures of policy substance. Scholars and other researchers involved with women and politics and legislative behavior will find the study of particular interest.

Reviews

Recommended for upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and faculty collections.-Choice
The study is commendable on several fronts. O'Regan provides a thorough venting of contradictory definitions and approaches on most key concepts considered...offers the benefits of being straightforward and thorough....Scholars of comparative politics who care about democratic representation and policy should read this book, not only scholars of women of gender. Much can be learned from it.-American Political Science Review
This book is important on many levels for both the social scientist and the political analyst and provides many historical and modern insights into feminist perspectives. Her extensive study provides information that not only supports her own research, but also proves immensely useful to any scholar looking for information on women, politics, and industrialized nations.-Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature
"Recommended for upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and faculty collections."-Choice
"This book is important on many levels for both the social scientist and the political analyst and provides many historical and modern insights into feminist perspectives. Her extensive study provides information that not only supports her own research, but also proves immensely useful to any scholar looking for information on women, politics, and industrialized nations."-Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature
"The study is commendable on several fronts. O'Regan provides a thorough venting of contradictory definitions and approaches on most key concepts considered...offers the benefits of being straightforward and thorough....Scholars of comparative politics who care about democratic representation and policy should read this book, not only scholars of women of gender. Much can be learned from it."-American Political Science Review

Author Bio

VALERIE R. O'REGAN is Assistant Professor of Political Science at North Dakota State University. Her articles have appeared in various publications, and her research interests focus on women and politics.