Political Power and Women's Representation in Latin America
"Exceptionally well theorized, methodologically rigorous and carefully empirical, Leslie Schwindt-Bayer's study of women's political representation in Latin America is a welcome addition to the women and representation scholarship that has until now relied on North American and West European cases...Political Power and Women's Representation in Latin Americawill be required reading for students of women and representation, and of representation and democracy more generally."--Karen Beckwith, Flora Stone Mather Professor of Political Science, Case Western Reserve University"This book catapults the study of women's political representation to a new level.  Schwindt-Bayer's theory links formal, descriptive, substantive and symbolic representation whereas previous research generally considered these four types of representation separately.  She advances clear hypotheses about the impact of women in legislative office, then tests them against a wealth of original data that includes bill introductions, committee assignments, leadership positions, and constituent service.  Schwindt-Bayer supplements this with surveys from male and female Latin American legislators as well as in-depth interviews. This book reorients existing debates about women and political power and deserves a wide audience."--Lisa Baldez, Associate Professor of Government, Dartmouth College"Schwindt-Bayer sheds a much-needed spotlight on a fascinating trend in Latin American politics. Highly recommended."--CHOICE"While no one book will resolve all debates over the impact of women's increasing presence in legislative bodies,Political Power and Women's Representation in Latin Americashifts the terms of the debate, prompting scholars to think about representation in new and more holistic ways."--Perspectiveson Politics"[T]heoretically and methodologically rigorous, thoroughly researched, and well-written."-- Comparative Political Studies"Schwindt-Bayer's book provides a great starting point for students and scholars wanting to better understand the phenomenon in Latin American democracies. Methodologically, this book provides a sophisticated example of the mixed-methods approach. The author successfully combines complex statistical models, survey analyses, and interviews. She creates a superb narrative of the dynamic relationship between the dimensions of representation. But it is the theory developed by the author that makes this book a must-read for scholars involved in the study of women's representation and gender-related policymaking. This book goes beyond static explanations of how women get elected and who represents women in a political system. It moves the debate toward a dynamic approach to how political institutions and elected women influence policymaking and how these factors influence citizens'attitudes toward government institutions."-- Journal of Women, Politics & Policy