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Missing Men and Women’s Demand for Political Representation

Author

Listed:
  • Boelmann, Barbara

    (University of Cologne)

  • Stapper, Carola

    (Johannes Kepler University Linz)

Abstract

We shift the perspective from why men extended political rights to women toward what shaped women’s own demand. Exploiting World War I drafting variation, we study how male absence affected German women’s demand for the franchise. We construct a new panel of all suffragette clubs - a revealed-preference measure given high wartime costs. Women were more likely to keep clubs open where more men were absent, especially where women led war relief efforts, highlighting agency and leadership experience as the central mechanism. Demand persisted after enfranchisement, with more female candidates and higher female turnout in high-absence counties with a wartime club.

Suggested Citation

  • Boelmann, Barbara & Stapper, Carola, 2026. "Missing Men and Women’s Demand for Political Representation," IZA Discussion Papers 18587, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18587
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • N44 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: 1913-
    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations

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