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Replication data for: Permissive electoral systems and descriptive representation

Harvard Dataverse (Africa Rice Center, Bioversity International, CCAFS, CIAT, IFPRI, IRRI and WorldFish)

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Title Replication data for: Permissive electoral systems and descriptive representation
 
Identifier https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/MVWBF4
 
Creator Dhima, Kostanca
Golder, Sona
Van der Straeten, Karine
 
Publisher Harvard Dataverse
 
Description Existing research about the effects of electoral systems on descriptive representation is mixed. In this paper, we test implications of theoretical arguments about the impact of electoral rules on voters’ propensity to vote for women candidates. We conducted a survey experiment during the 2017 provincial election in British Columbia, Canada, using actual candidates in both real and hypothetical electoral districts. We find that more permissive, or candidate-centered, forms of proportional representation do not improve descriptive representation of women; if anything, they diminish it. We interpret these results as being driven by the supply of candidates – voters tend to vote for incumbent, well-known candidates who happen to be predominantly men. Our findings provide a cautionary note about how electoral rules can interact with real-world experiences and conditions.
 
Subject Social Sciences
 
Contributor Golder, Sona