Women in the Majority: Critical Mass and the New Hampshire Senate

Schilling, Emily U.; Osborn, Tracy L.

doi:10.1080/1554477x.2020.1805420

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Interestingly, the impacts of both independent variables increase nonlinearly. This provides empirical evidence for the critical mass theory developed by Kanter (1977), arguing that the influence of women's descriptive representation tends to be magnified when the number of women legislators reaches a certain point (for more information about the critical mass theory, see Dahlerup et al, 2014;Schilling & Osborn, 2020).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 87%

The Impacts of Gender-Related Factors on the Adoption of Anti-Human Trafficking Laws in Sub-Saharan African Countries

Woo

2022

SAGE Open

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Human trafficking is an imminent problem not limited to certain regions of the globe. Although the problem of human trafficking is severe over the world, Sub-Saharan African countries are some of the most vulnerable to human trafficking. Despite the severity of human trafficking in Sub-Saharan Africa, only 23 countries, less than half of Sub-Saharan African countries, have introduced domestic statutory laws addressing human trafficking. Why do some African countries adopt laws for combating human trafficking, while others do not? Focusing on the role of gender-related factors in the introduction of laws addressing human trafficking, this article aims to fill this academic lacuna by conducting time-series cross-national analysis on 49 African countries from 1960 to 2016. The empirical results from this study demonstrate that increases in the percentage of women in legislative branches and in women’s participation in civil society organizations lead countries to introduce anti-human trafficking laws.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 87%

The Impacts of Gender-Related Factors on the Adoption of Anti-Human Trafficking Laws in Sub-Saharan African Countries

Woo

2022

SAGE Open

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“…In contrast, Bratton (2002) and Kathlene (1994) report increased resistance by the majority against a growing minority. In an analysis of LGBT legislators, Haider-Markel and Donald (2007) finds both positive and negative effects, while Harmel (1986), Hedge (1996), Barrett (1997), Bratton (2005), Kerevel and Rae Atkeson (2013), and Schilling and Osborn (2020) report few differences attributable to changing proportions. Perhaps the source of this variation, as suggested by Grey (2006), lies in the difficulty of identifying a “magic number,” not to mention too few opportunities to test fully Kanter’s categories.…”

Section: Critical Mass and Legislative Minoritiesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Likewise, certain scholars focus on the substance of the legislation produced by minority lawmakers, as well as by their allies and opponents (e.g. Saint-Germaine and Michelle, 1989; Thomas, 1994; Bratton and Haynie, 1999; Haider-Markel and Donald, 2007; and Schilling and Osborn, 2020); others report bill passage rates regardless of content (e.g. Hamm et al, 1983; Gamm and Kousser, 2013).…”

Section: Critical Mass and Legislative Minoritiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other analyses find that greater outgroup membership has modest effects difficult to disentangle from other factors (e.g. Dahlerup, 1988;Childs, 2004;Schilling and Osborn, 2020) or more procedural than substantive (Rosenthal, 1998). Still others find negative effects, as growth prompts backlash from the majority group (Blalock and Hubert, 1967;Yoder, 1991;Hamm and Harmel, 1993;Kathlene, 1994;Kanthak and Krause, 2012;Krook, 2015).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Does more matter? Critical mass and legislative influence

Nemerever

Parry

2022

Party Politics

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Scholars are divided on whether increased group size helps or hurts political minorities. We test the concept of “critical mass” using a different kind of long-time minority: pre-realignment Republicans in the American South. In Arkansas, after a century of token status, the minority party doubled its numbers in the late 1990s, held steady through the 2000s, then surged to a super majority. This stair-stepped transformation opened a unique window to address a question thus far examined only cross-sectionally: is an outgroup’s influence enhanced by an increase in numbers or does success become less likely as the majority reacts to a growing threat? We find support for the latter. As the minority expands, the likelihood their bills will be adopted, relative to majority bills, decreases markedly. The widened deficit is not, however, the consequence of diminished Republican success, but rather of a Democratic surge.

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“…However, a study of female judges in Canada found no critical mass effect on their decision-making (Johnson et al, 2011). Other work examining the legislative politics of the New Hampshire state Senate, which in 2009, became the first chamber to have a female majority found that women were no more likely to pursue a women’s agenda with that majority than in other sessions (Schilling & Osborn, 2020). These women legislators were more likely to cosponsor each other’s bills when having a majority, however.…”

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confidence: 99%

Critical Mass Claims and Ideological Divides Among Women in the U.S. House of Representatives

Tate

Arend

2022

American Politics Research

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Critical mass theories predict that women in government will sponsor and vote for more women and feminist bills as their numbers increase. Using Voteview.com data of roll-call votes measuring left–right ideology from 1977 to 2019 this paper shows that ideological divides among women in the U.S. House of Representatives have deepened rather than veered in a liberal direction. Republican women have moved rightward over time and more conservative ones are winning elections. Belonging to a politicized generation, older Silent Generation and Boomer women are more ideologically extreme than younger women. Parties are also elevating their more ideological female members. As their numbers increase, female House members are expected to remain ideologically diverse in a polarized legislative environment. Critical mass theories are deficient in failing to place female political actors in a dynamic workplace.

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Women in the Majority: Critical Mass and the New Hampshire Senate

Cited by 4 publications

References 24 publications

The Impacts of Gender-Related Factors on the Adoption of Anti-Human Trafficking Laws in Sub-Saharan African Countries

The Impacts of Gender-Related Factors on the Adoption of Anti-Human Trafficking Laws in Sub-Saharan African Countries

Does more matter? Critical mass and legislative influence

Critical Mass Claims and Ideological Divides Among Women in the U.S. House of Representatives

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