Gender Quotas as Game Changers for the Recruitment, Selection, and Performance of Elected Politicians

Aldrich, Andrea; Daniel, William

Abstract

Academic scholarship indicates that gender quotas can help to attain equal representation for men and women in elected office, yet less is known about what else they achieve. As moments of positive disruption, the implementation of gender quotas acts as a game changer for the full system of democratically elected politics. This book shows that quotas offer new opportunities for aspiring politicians to be recruited and seek election, as well as more gender equal ways of winning them. Findings show that legislators elected under quotas are more likely to display the valuable background qualifications necessary to succeed in office. By tracing the careers of legislators across subnational, national, and European levels from over forty years of office, it offers conclusive evidence that quotas can have profound effects on the nature of political careers for both men and women. In doing so, it unites new and existing theories and data to speak to the broader study of legislative and party politics, European Union studies, and political careers.

Citation

Aldrich, A., & Daniel, W. (2025). Gender Quotas as Game Changers for the Recruitment, Selection, and Performance of Elected Politicians. Oxford University Press (OUP). https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198946878.001.0001

• Book Type: Authored Book
• Online Publication Date: Feb 27, 2025
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2025
• Deposit Date: Mar 14, 2024
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
• ISBN: 9780198946854
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198946878.001.0001
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/32464094
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/book/59689
• Additional Information: Full information to be provided when finalised version of the author accepted manuscript is submitted to Oxford UP by 1 June 2024.
• Contract Date: Feb 27, 2024