Women’s Incomes Improve When Democrats Hold Public Office

In an increasingly polarized political system, Democratic control has a meaningful impact on narrowing the gender gap. New research from the University of California San Diego reveals that Democratic control of state houses leads to substantial improvement in women's incomes, wages and unemployment relative to men. The study , to be published in Legislative Studies Quarterly, finds that especially in the recent period of pronounced partisan polarization, Democratic house control helps close the gender inequality gap. Across all states, women's wages averaged only 70 percent of men's wages in 2018, but just a few years after Democrats are elected in a state, that gap typically declines by 3.6 percentage points. Additionally, the researchers estimate that a slim Democratic majority in the house—as opposed to a slim Republican majority—leads to a 2.6 percent point reduction in the overall income gap between men and women. Zoltan Hajnal, a professor of political science and a scholar on U.S. politics and policy. His research focuses on how disadvantaged populations are represented in American politics and what can be done to ensure better representation of these groups.