Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Comparing The Campaign Financing Patterns Of Male And Female Congressional Candidates, Sara M. Thane

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Nearly 100 years after gaining the right to vote, women are nowhere near reaching equal representation in the United States Congress. Although this is likely due to a range of factors, the possibility that women remain underrepresented because of a campaign financing disadvantage is explored in this research. While there is a rich body of literature comparing how male and female Congressional candidates finance their campaigns, previous research has not compared the net worth of male and female members of Congress or how net worth affects the amount of campaign receipts a candidate receives. Additionally, the self-financing patterns of male …