Mentoring the Next Generation of Women Candidates: A Field Experiment of State Legislators

• Date: 01 July 2020
• Published date: 01 July 2020
• DOI: 10.1177/1532673X20906459
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673X20906459

American Politics Research

2020, Vol. 48(4) 492 –505

© The Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/1532673X20906459

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Article

The 2016 U.S. presidential election focused national atten-

tion on women’s underrepresentation in politics. This spot-

light was in part due to Hillary Clinton’s historic candidacy

as the first major party woman nominee for president, but

was also driven by Donald Trump’s degrading rhetoric

toward women (Fahrenthold, 2016). The 2016 presidential

campaigns played an important role in activating gender

attitudes to shape voting behavior (Bracic et al., 2019). The

backlash to 2016 sparked what was dubbed by the media as

the “Year of the Woman” for the record-breaking surge in

women in 2018 running for political office, further rising

the salience of the underrepresentation of women in gov-

ernment (Tackett, 2017).

Using a field experiment, also called an audit study, on

state legislators, this article explores what role gender of a pro-

spective political candidate plays in legislators’ decision to

respond to requests for advice or mentorships as well as how

this decision is shaped by a legislator’s own gender and party

identities. I argue that political elites are more willing to offer

their time and help to women in pursuit of elected office, espe-

cially when primed to think about gender representation in

politics, as they have witnessed the additional hurdles women

face in running for office. In addition, legislators’ gender and

party identities likely shape responsiveness to political aspi-

rants, such that women and Democrats would be increasingly

sympathetic and responsive in aiding a woman considering

running for political office. More than 450 emails were sent to

state legislators in three states from an individual seeking

advice on running for political office. Each email randomly

varied if it was sent from a man or woman, and additionally

varied if it indicated the individual was a Democrat,

Republican, or no party was specified. In addition, some

emails sent from the woman aspirant included an additional

prime on gender representation concerns in government.

Overall, I find that a woman seeking political advice is

more likely than a man to be offered help from state legisla-

tors. In addition, I find that legislators are more likely to

respond when the office seeker is of the same political party.

Priming consideration of gender representation in politics

did not increase overall responsiveness. However, it did sig-

nificantly increase the number of legislators willing to offer

gender-specific advice to aid women considering a run, such

as providing information on organizations that provide

resources to women candidates or advice on how to navigate

political life as a woman. I find the increased responsiveness

to the woman aspirant was not primarily driven by women

legislators but rather by Democrats. Democratic legislators

were more responsive to the woman aspirant than the man

regardless of the aspirant’s party, whereas Republicans were

906459APRXXX10.1177/1532673X20906459American Politics ResearchRhinehart

research-article2020

1The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

Corresponding Author:

Sarina Rhinehart, The Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies

Center, The University of Oklahoma, 630 Parrington Oval, Rm 101,

Norman, OK 73019, USA.

Email: rhinehart@ou.edu

Mentoring the Next Generation of

Women Candidates: A Field

Experiment of State Legislators

Sarina Rhinehart1

Abstract

This experiment sent state legislators an email from an individual seeking advice on running for office, varying the gender and

party of the sender. This project explores two inquiries—who the legislators choose to respond to and how the legislators’

own gender and partisan identities shape that decision. I theorize that women in politics is a salient issue for legislators;

therefore, they will be more willing to advise politically ambitious women. Overall, I find that legislators are more willing

to offer help when the aspirant is a woman and of the same party. When primed to further consider women in politics,

legislators are more likely to offer gender-specific advice. Democrats rather than women legislators drive this heightened

responsiveness to the woman aspirant. These findings highlight what role public officials can play in closing the candidate

gender gap, and how legislators’ multiple identities intersect and frame their decisions to aid political aspirants.

Keywords

field experiment, audit study, state legislatures, gender and politics, candidate recruitment