Piquing Political Interest, Forging Political Engagement

Abstract

How do sizable and visible gains in women’s officeholding affect women’s and men’s political engagement? This chapter examines how women’s political presence shapes gender differences in political knowledge, interest, discussion, and citizens’ beliefs about their own efficaciousness. The authors draw on their unique survey in Uruguay before quota implementation and after the resulting increase in women’s descriptive representation to track gender differences over time. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses reveal a consistent pattern of rising engagement for women as a consequence of the changing face of descriptive representation. After the election, previously statistically significant gender gaps in favor of men evaporate for political interest, political knowledge, perceptions of understanding issues, and political discussion.