Mershon Center for International Security Studies Graduate Student Research 2007-08By 2006, about 40 countries had legislated or constitutionally mandated gender quotas for candidates running for seats in the
national legislature, and many more political parties had self-imposed
such rules.
Proponents of quotas hail this trend, arguing they are necessary to achieve truly democratic forms of representation.
Others, though, charge that any form of quotas conflicts with the basic tenets of liberal democracy.
All too absent from the debate is an understanding of if and how quotas actually change political outcomes. Christina
Xydias aims to fill this gap by investigating whether female
legislators pursue different policy agendas than their male counterparts, and if so, under what circumstances
