The challenges of political representation: gender in a US State legislature

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of women in the Georgia General Assembly and determines the impact of gender on the activities of state legislators, specifically in the areas of committee assignments and sponsored legislation from 2003 to 2014.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach set forth in this analysis seeks to answer four research questions employing quantitative data regarding female legislator involvement in activities of the state legislature and compare these findings with their male colleagues over a ten-year period.

Findings

Some of the key findings include that female representative sponsor fewer bills and participate in fewer committees than their male counterparts. The only legislative area female representatives exercise greater involvement is in government committees. The paper concludes with policy recommendations on how to address the current standing of women in the Georgia General Assembly.

Originality/value

A value of this analysis is that its content can support comparative work that can prove helpful to future research goals. As the most comprehensive analysis of its kind in Georgia, this paper contributes to a better understanding of the state legislature.

Citation

Spirou, M.E. (2017), "The challenges of political representation: gender in a US State legislature", International Journal of Public Leadership, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 13-25. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPL-10-2016-0037