In the U.S. Congress

While researchers have been aware of a "gender gap" among the public, the existence of a gender gap among policy makers has been little explored. This analysis examines liberal voting patterns in the House of Representatives during four congresses for differences between voting of male and female members. Women do consistently vote in a more liberal direction than men, but the differences have decreased over time and are negligible among Norther Democrats. Several reasons for the changing voting patterns of women are discussed. Does it make a difference whether women or men are elected to office? Some would argue that it is important to have women in office just to have greater descriptive representation: to reflect in elective bodies the fact that women are more than a majority of the population. Others assert that female representation will make a substantive difference in policy outcomes. In recent years, women have been more liberal than men, and women policy makers often show special sensitivity to women's issues. However, we really have little evidence about whether the behavior of men and women policy makers does differ over a range of issues. In this essay we will examine the extent of these differences in one group of policy makers, members of the House of Representatives.