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