The Origins of Different Committee Styles

Abstract

Abstract Jane Maroney and Liane Sorenson were once seatmates in the Delaware House of Representatives, and they now chair important legislative committees. But their legislative careers are hardly carbon copies. For one thing, Jane Maroney was first elected in 1978 and Liane Sorenson won her first election in 1992. Much like bookends, the careers of Jane Maroney and Liane Sorenson mark how much and how little things have changed over three decades for women in legislatures. They do share the characteristics of older age when first elected, family background, and community commitments that define the legislative careers of women committee chairs generally and are associated with integrative leadership styles. These characteristics also represent the differences that distinguish the careers of women and men committee chairs and create social distance among presumed equals.