690 research outputs found
Gender-Driven Legislative Policymaking: The Case of Truancy
Do women legislate differently than men do? Much research has examined the influence
of women on public policy, with some research specifically focused on state legislatures.
This research tends to focus on the question of whether women legislate more often
towards women’s issues and feminist ideologies. Following Kathlene (1995), this
research seeks to identify whether women formulate public policy and legislate
differently when it involves an area of public policy that is not a typically defined
women’s issue, but rather in a gender-neutral area. I presented a newspaper article
discussing the problems and issues of truancy in schools to nine Ohio General Assembly
legislators. I then interviewed each legislator about truancy and analyzed the interviews.
The female and male legislators proposed different reasons for the causes of truancy, and
therefore different policy solutions as well. Analysis of 16 education bills proposed by
male and female legislators in the Ohio General Assembly provides some additional
support for the view that men and women do legislate differently, even on gender-neutral
topics.OSU Uundergraduate Student Government Academic Enrichment GrantNo embarg
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