Double Glass Ceiling: The Class Effects of Gender Representation

This Element sheds light on the intersectionality of class and gender in political representation. Although the working class is grossly underrepresented in most legislative bodies across the globe, the underrepresentation of the working class is particularly severe among female representatives. This Element examines the political significance of the shortage of working-class women in political bodies. Specifically, it argues that the link between women's descriptive and symbolic representation will appear differently across economic class, which could, in turn, have significant implications for working-class women's political attitudes and behavior. The Element first theorizes and empirically tests the class-based differences in women's policy priorities. Next, it studies how the class-based representation gap in politics might undermine a sense of political efficacy among women from underprivileged backgrounds. Taken together, the theory and findings of this Element make vital contributions to gender and politics research by uncovering the class- and gender-based dynamics in political representation.