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Religious Differences among Congressional Districts and the Success of Women Candidates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2016

Mark Setzler
Mark Setzler*
Affiliation:
High Point University
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Abstract

Scholars exploring the female representation gap in the U.S. Congress have pointed to district-level differences to explain why some districts regularly field women candidates and elect congresswomen while others almost never do. Specifically, demographic, economic, and political characteristics strongly influence a district's female candidacy, nomination, and election rates. This article asks whether also knowing about a district's religious environment helps us better predict the presence and success of women candidates. My central finding is that religiosity, in general, and the strength of some denominations within a district are strong predictors of where women will run and how well they will compete.

Type
Research Article
Information
Politics & Gender , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , September 2016 , pp. 518 - 548
Copyright
Copyright © The Women and Politics Research Section of the American Political Science Association 2016 

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