In recent years, political parties and national legislatures in more than one hundred countries have adopted quotas for the selection of female candidates to political office. Despite the rapid international diffusion of these measures, most research has focused on single countries - or, at most, the presence of quotas within one world region. Consequently, explanations for the adoption and impact of gender quotas derived from one study often contradict with findings from other cases. Quotas for Women in Politics is the first book to address quotas as a global phenomenon to explain their spread and impact in diverse contexts around the world. It is organized around two sets of questions. First, why are quotas adopted? Which actors are involved in quota campaigns, and why do they support or oppose quota measures? Second, what effects do quotas have on existing patterns of political representation? Are these provisions sufficient for bringing more women into politics? Or, does their impact depend on other features of the broader political context? Synthesizing literature on quota policies, this book develops a framework for analyzing the spread of quota provisions and the reasons for variations in their effects. It then applies this framework to examine and compare campaigns for reserved seats in Pakistan and India, party quotas in Sweden and the United Kingdom, and legislative quotas in Argentina and France.

About the Author
Mona Lena Krook is Assistant Professor of Political Science and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Washington University in St. Louis.

Reviews
Highly recommended. * CHOICE *
This outstanding book expertly addresses the former gap in the literature, representing a profound advance in our understanding of the adoption and implementation of gender quotes throughout the globe...destined to become a mandatory reference in the thematic area of gender and representation...a must-read for all scholars concerned with the role of gender in politics. * Perspectives on Politics *
Krook's book is an excellent piece of scholarship with multiple contributions to the field of political science, a significant advancement of the study of quotas for women, and an agenda for future research. Her work raises interesting and important questions while also providing a common framework for comparative analysis. * Journal of Politics *
This is and will for some time be the definitive account of the political science of quotas for women. * Joni Lovenduski, Anniversary Professor of Politics, Birkbeck College, University of London, and Fellow of the British Academy *
In recent years, gender quotas for legislative office represent one of the critical reforms sweeping the world. Providing original theoretical insights and sifting through fresh case-study evidence, this study synthesizes the literature, carefully examines alternative reasons, and rejects over-simple monocausal explanations of this complex phenomenon. The book provides a major contribution to the fields of women and politics, comparative institutions, and public policy, of interest to scholars and policymakers alike. * Pippa Norris, McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics, Harvard University *


Awards
Winner of Winner of the American Political Science Association's Representation and Electoral Systems Section George H Hallett Award.



Book Information
ISBN 9780199740277
Author Mona Lena Krook
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 426g
Dimensions(mm) 156mm * 234mm * 16mm