Right “Man” for the Job? The Influence of Gender on Civil–Military Friction

• Published date: 01 July 2018
• Author: Theresa Schroeder,Jonathan Powell
• DOI: 10.1177/0095327X17700390
• Date: 01 July 2018
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

Right “Man” for the Job?

The Influence of Gender

on Civil–Military Friction

Theresa Schroeder

1

and Jonathan Powell

2

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of women in politics on the risk

of a coup d’e

´tat. Previous research indicates that the relationship between female

political leaders and security is dependent on the office she holds. Subsequently, we

expect female legislators to have a different influence than a female chief executive

on the likelihood of a coup. We argue that a higher level of female representation

reduces the risk of a coup d’e

´tat. However, we assert that a female chief executive

has a different effect and increases coup risk. Using data covering 160 states over the

years 1952 to 2009, our empirical tests provide support for our expectations. All

else being equal, increased levels of women in parliament lead to a substantial drop in

coup likelihood. However, the argument that a female chief executive will be more

coup prone is not fully supported in our findings.

Keywords

coups and conflicts, gender issues, civil–military relations, female leaders, female

representation

Previous research has found that women in politics can impact a variety aspects of

civil–military relations. This includes findings such as states with higher levels of

female representation act less militaristically in international affairs, spending less

on their militaries, and using less violence interstate relations (Caprioli, 2000; Koch

1

Radford University, Radford, VA, USA

2

Department of Political Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

Corresponding Author:

Theresa Schroeder, Radford University, 248 Russell Hall, Radford, VA 24141, USA.

Email: tschroeder@radford.edu

Armed Forces & Society

2018, Vol. 44(3) 460-475

ªThe Author(s) 2017

Reprints and permission:

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DOI: 10.1177/0095327X17700390

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& Fulton, 2011; Regan & Paskeviciute, 2003). These findings suggest that there is

less reliance on the military in international politics when there are more women in

the legislature. This article builds on this notion by arguing that women in politics

can also impact the role of military involvement in domestic politics. Specifically,

we argue that women in politics promote political stability generally, and the like-

lihood of military intervention into politics specifically. However, we expect the

political position of women to have differing effects on a country’s propensity for a

coup d’e´tat. In line with earlier literature, we argue that female chief executives can

be seen as a potential threat to the organizational interests of the military. That is, we

expect states with more women in the legislature to have a lower risk of a coup

d’e´tat, while states with a female chief executive have a higher risk of a coup d’e´tat.

We build our argument around the perception of the leader’s competence and/or

legitimacy, dynamics that are among the most commonly noted factor in a military’s

decision to engage in a coup. Popular erosion of support of the leader and his or her

government has been called a necessary precursor for a coup (Finer, 1988). More

specifically, the public must overtly demonstrate its antipathy for a regime (Welch,

1970). We argue that having more women in the legislature increases the govern-

ment’s legitimacy, subsequently reducing the risk of a coup. However, a female

chief executive does not elicit the same legitimacy or public support and instead, she

is more likely to be viewed with suspicion by the security sector. We argue that the

belief that a female chief executive obtained her post through familial ties coupled

with the perception that she is ill-suited to handle military matters makes her a more

likely target of a coup by delegitimizing her governing authority (e.g., Jalalzai, 2008;

Lawless, 2004).

This article begins with a discussion of the multiple ways women in the legis-

lature diminish the risk of a coup. This is followed by an examination of the con-

trasting effect of a female chief executive on coup risk. Using data from over 160

states, we find that coup risk declines as female parliamentary representation

increases. The findings indicate that women’s parliamentary representation is a far

more robust indicator of coup activity than other factors that are commonly pur-

ported to be associated with coups (e.g., state wealth and democracy), providing

strong support for the theory. However, the presence of women in politics does not

have a uniform effect on coup risk. While there is only limited evidence that female

executives are in fact more likely to be targeted via coups, the overall results prompt

us to conclude that gender dynamics are an important, yet previously understudied,

aspect of civil–military friction.

Coup Risk and Women in Politics

Women in the Legislature

Legitimacy, defined as the government’s rightful rule and citizens’ willingness to

obey them, has long been argued to be an important influence on coup activity

Schroeder and Powell 461