Why are some democracies less corrupt than others? Understanding the link between women representation and corruption
Short description
The aim of this project is to investigate how and why women in elected office is associated with lower levels of corruption. Does women representation really cause reductions in corruption? If so, why? Will the effects last over time? What forms of corruption are reduced? The project brings both theoretical and empirical innovations to this field of research and builds on quasi experimental designs, regional level survey and survey experiments as well as local data over time.
Government corruption has severe consequences for human health, environmental performance and economic development. Corruption also undermines democracy and exacerbates inequality, thereby decreasing the legitimacy of the democratic system and paving the way for populism. Yet despite massive investments in anticorruption measures, most anticorruption efforts fail. One of the very few factors that seem to consistently be associated with lower level of corruption is the share of women in elected office. The aim of this project is to investigate how and why women in elected office is associated with lower levels of corruption. Does women representation really cause reductions in corruption? If so, why? Will the effects last over time? What forms of corruption are reduced? The project brings both theoretical and empirical innovations to this field of research and builds on quasi experimental designs, regional level survey and survey experiments as well as local data over time.