What role do men play in women's political representation? When and why do they support more inclusivity for women in office? Given that all political parties today have men in a majority of leadership positions, male gatekeepers play a key part in women's representation. So, how are they responding to the increasing numbers of women who are seeking leadership roles in politics?
In The Inclusion Calculation, Melody E. Valdini examines women's inclusion from the perspective of men in power and offers a novel approach to understanding differences in women's descriptive representation. This book argues that men facilitate women's entry into politics when women's presence promises to benefit public perception of a party, and therefore benefit male party leaders. One particularly disturbing implication of this argument is that leaders can increase the number of women in office as a quick and simple substitute for addressing real systemic failures in party organization. Valdini tests her hypotheses by looking at several political contexts around the world: the degree to which parties run more women after a corruption scandal, the number of women who are actually elected at such times, the adoption of gender quotas, and the appointment of women legislators in authoritarian regimes. Her findings suggest that we cannot yet celebrate recent increases in the number of
women in office as a sign that we are nearing broad acceptance of gender equality. Further, these findings also suggest that one should question the tendency of scholars and international organizations to use women's presence in office as a measurement of good governance, as well as the tendency to encourage women to simply "lean in" to advance their careers.
While it is certainly valuable to encourage women to run for office, it is equally important to understand the motivations of male power-holders. To that end, this book examines how men strategically feminize their political parties or government to retain control, demonstrating that a woman's selection as a candidate often depends on a man's perception of her value.
Industry Reviews
"The Inclusion Calculation cleverly flips the script on previous research analyzing women's descriptive representation. ... [It] makes a superb contribution to comparative politics." -- Jennifer Piscopo, Perspectives on Politics
"This volume makes use of several systematic statistical analyses and numerous case studies to explore the nuances that help to explain the calculations gatekeepers make. Valdini's provocative framework should spark a reconsideration of implicit assumptions about women's representation and how to ensure that governments provide authentic and meaningful representation for all members of society." -- T. Lynch, University of St. Thomas, CHOICE
"Rather than the oft-asked question of how women make strides on politics, this excellent book flips this question on its head by asking when and why established political elites let women in? The argument is compelling: politicians allow women into elected positions when it benefits their own electoral fortunes. The analyses draw on an impressive array of case studies and sources of evidence." -- Miki Caul Kittilson, Arizona State University
"This pathbreaking book brings patriarchy back into gender and politics research. Valdini rightly argues that male elites do not nominate women because they have good intentions. Rather, certain moments make the benefits of women's inclusion outweigh the threat to men's power. Using quantitative analyses and case studies, Valdini identifies two such moments: after corruption crises and in decaying democracies. The focus on elites' inclusion calculation provides
a timely reminder that the responsibility for women's political underrepresentation lies with men." -- Jennifer M. Piscopo, Occidental College
"Valdini offers a brilliant new analysis of gender representation, focusing not on women's efforts to gain access to politics but on men's role as gatekeepers. She provides a ground-breaking contribution, asking 'when and why do men let the women in?' and arguing that male elites facilitate women's descriptive representation when it is likely to generate tangible benefits to men's power. Valdini's approach is original, smart, compelling, and highly readable. A
must-read for all scholars and students of gender politics!" -- Leslie A. Schwindt-Bayer, Rice University
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