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Congresswomen, Legislative Entrepreneurship, and the Basis for Effective Legislating in the U.S. House, 1973–2008

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2021

Nicole Kalaf-Hughes Open the ORCID record for Nicole Kalaf-Hughes [Opens in a new window] ,
Jason A. MacDonald  and
Lauren M. Santoro
Nicole Kalaf-Hughes
Affiliation:
Bowling Green State University
Jason A. MacDonald
Affiliation:
West Virginia University
Lauren M. Santoro
Affiliation:
Western Governors University
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Abstract

Research indicates that congresswomen are more effective at moving bills through the lawmaking process than their male counterparts. To investigate why, we discuss what legislative entrepreneurship involves and explain why it can serve as the basis for problem-solving and effective lawmaking in the U.S. Congress. We also examine the entrepreneurial work that members of Congress did on behalf of bills that they sponsored from 1973 to 2008. Among other findings, we observe that congresswomen, especially those in the minority party, are more entrepreneurial than their male colleagues. This finding enhances our understanding of why female lawmakers are more effective lawmakers.

Keywords

entrepreneurshipinstitutional behaviorgenderCongress
Type
Research Article
Information
Politics & Gender , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , September 2022 , pp. 640 - 671
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Women, Gender, and Politics Research Section of the American Political Science Association

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