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Do Female Leaders Reduce Corruption? New Evidence from Brazil

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  • Peveri, Julieta
  • Tricaud, Clemence

Abstract

Does female leadership reduce corruption? We study this question using close mixed-gender elections in Brazilian municipalities over two decades and multiple measures of corruption: budget-based predicted corruption scores, audit irregularities, and legal sanctions. We find no evidence that electing a woman mayor affects corruption. This null result holds across time periods, mayor characteristics, and the electoral cycle. We only detect a negative effect in the small subsample of municipalities randomly audited in early terms, which coincides with a sharp imbalance in incumbency. Because incumbency directly impacts corruption, these previously documented effects likely reflect the impact of incumbency rather than gender.

Suggested Citation

  • Peveri, Julieta & Tricaud, Clemence, 2026. "Do Female Leaders Reduce Corruption? New Evidence from Brazil," CEPR Discussion Papers 21568, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:21568
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government

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