Term Limits and the Increased Election of Women: Evidence From State Legislatures and the U.S. House of Representatives

Authors

  • Stanley M. Caress

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2374-7781.2009.30.0.275-287

Abstract

This study seeks to determine if term limits increase the likelihood of women being elected to legislative seats. Using a simple comparison of growth rates, we found that, during the initial period of term limit implementation (1991 to 2009), the increase of females elected to state legislatures with term limits was approximately the same as to those without term limits. Additionally, a comparison of the growth rate of females elected to the non-term-limited United States House of Representatives with those of the state legislatures during this same time period shows that the U.S. House actually had a greater increase than state legislatures both with and without term limits. Moreover, in California, which has a full-time, professional state legislature with electoral dynamics similar to the U.S. House, the proportion of women elected to the state’s non-term limited U.S. House delegation from 1990 to 2009 exceeded the proportion of women elected to its term-limited state legislature. These comparisons all suggest that term limits do not facilitate the election of female candidates to legislative seats.

References

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Published

2009-11-01

Issue

Vol. 30: Fall 2009

Section

Articles

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