Candidate Selection Rules and Democratic Outcomes

Abstract

Using data from the Political Party Database, this chapter analyses the impact of the internal structures and rules of political parties on women’s representation (conceptualized as the number of female candidates nominated). It examines the impact of candidate selection methods (inclusive/exclusive, centralized/decentralized), gender quotas, the presence of intra-party women’s organizations, reserved positions in party institutions, and candidacy requirements. The multivariate analysis reveals that state-level gender quotas have a significant positive effect on the number of women nominated, as does the presence of women in positions of authority, such as in parliament and on party executives. Interestingly, the authors find that the formal rules adopted by parties concerning candidate selection (including candidate selection rules) do not make a significant difference when considering representational outcomes.