The Power of Sex and Incumbency

Abstract

In France's 2002 legislative elections, parties spectacularly failed to respect the `parity' requirement of an equal number of male and female candidates. Women remained a minority, especially in safe seats, where heavy priority was given to the (usually male) incumbents. Parties defended this practice, claiming that it was better to field incumbents than newcomers, and that fielding a woman might cost them the seat. Although these claims were strongly refuted by feminist organizations, they have been difficult to (dis)prove, as women are often placed in the toughest seats and therefore tend to perform badly in the polls. This article helps resolve the argument with a longitudinal study of electoral performance. By comparing candidates within the same seat over several elections, and controlling for swing, the study separates candidate and seat effects to allow an objective evaluation. The results suggest that it is parties, not the electorate, that are discriminating against women.