The Case for Congresswomen: Gender Equality in Congress as a Determinant of Political Outcomes

On November 7, 1916, Jeanette Rankin (R-MT) was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives. Half a century later, 1992 became the “Year of the Woman” as 48 women were elected to the House, and six were already sitting in the Senate. Since this watershed movement, women’s advancement into Congress has continued at a slow yet unremitting pace. While female Congresspersons now compose twenty-three percent of the overall legislative body, the existing gains have not translated to equal participation and legislative productivity.
This raises the central question of this thesis: Between 1992 and 2015, how did the increase in women’s representation in the United States Congress affect legislative outcomes? To analyze the question, this thesis evaluates four hypotheses about differences between women’s and men’s influence on Congress – including productivity, diverse legislative outcomes, distinct leadership styles, and representational focus. Through both a quantitative and qualitative approach, this thesis seeks to make the case for Congresswomen.