Content area
Abstract
Do female members of Congress behave distinctively from their male counterparts? Theory and empirical evidence suggest that differences do exist. To answer this question I analyze the legislative behavior of female members of Congress between 1985 and 1994, along with a random male sample from each Congress. Specifically, I examine their legislative behavior in three discrete policy areas concerning women: feminist issues, traditional women's issues, and gender gap issues. I also compare the levels of support they give to policy areas traditionally associated with men: the economy and the military. The findings indicate that the Congresswomen advanced issues that are universal to women--those which concern expansion of women's equity in society, crimes against women, children's issues and women's health. Although the Congresswomen exhibited greater commitment than the men to these issues, it was not to the exclusion of other important policy domains, such as economic and defense issues. These differences were not elicited by interest group ratings (which, as expected, revealed divisions along party lines). They only emerged when the bills sponsored, enacted and speeches delivered by each member were content analyzed. Gender, along with partisanship, accounts for much of this difference. District characteristics and members' personal characteristics accounted for little of the women's distinctive behavior. These findings indicate that the Congresswomen act as substantive representatives of women's interests. And, in turn, increasing the number of women in office will provide greater substantive representation of women's interests.
