THE ROLE OF GENDER IN OPEN-SEAT ELECTIONS FOR THE US-HOUSE-OF-REPRESENTATIVES - A DISTRICT LEVEL TEST FOR A DIFFERENTIAL VALUE FOR CAMPAIGNRESOURCES

A substantial amount of literature exists examining the under-represen tation of women in the United States House of Representatives. By exam ining open-seat elections from 1982 through 1994, the author tests the assumption that male and female candidates receive equivalent returns for campaign resources. The research finds that a differential return for campaign expenditures does exist during this time period. Women c andidates in the 1980s suffered from a diminished return for campaign resources; hence, simple parity of resources in this time period was n ot sufficient to ensure competitiveness. The disadvantage evidenced in the 1980s has largely disappeared in open-seat elections in the 1990s supporting the contention that the electoral environment is changing and becoming more supportive of women candidacies. Additionally, the r esearch demonstrates that the aggregate model (which is dominant in th e literature) overestimates the effect of women's campaign expenditure s because it fails to make paired comparisons. The district level mode l pairs women candidates with their actual male opponents to directly examine the full impact of gender on the percentage of the vote receiv ed in open-seat elections to the House of Representatives.