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The Review of Economics and Statistics Vol. 102 No. 1 2020

Can Quotas Increase the Supply of Candidates for Higher-Level Positions? Evidence from Local Government in India

Stephen D. O’Connell

Emory University and the IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Abstract

A one-third quota rule for women in local political leadership seats in India increases the number of female candidates who later contest seats in state and national legislatures. This arises from the candidacy of beneficiaries who gained political experience due to the quotas and career politicians who continue contesting in longer-exposed areas. The policy accounts for a substantial portion of the increase in female candidates for high office since the mid-1990s. Women have a higher probability of a top finish when running on major party tickets or contesting in areas that overlap with their local constituency.

DOI
10.1162/rest_a_00802
Volume
102
Issue
1
Pages
65-78
Language
en
Sources
openalex crossref

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