Already Gone: Retaining Women in State Legislatures

Abstract

Diversity in representation is a necessary component of legislatures, both normatively and for the best policy outcomes. Recently, women legislators have received more attention, as has their role in office. While scholars have examined the importance of recruiting more women to office, there is less emphasis on the retention of women as legislators. The key to expanding women's representation in state legislatures rests in both the recruitment and retention of women. We theorize that variation in institutional and personal support affects whether women choose to stay in the state legislature long term. To test this, we examine the turnover rates for women from all 50 US states to identify the barriers to service and how to mitigate them. Our analysis contributes an understanding of how to create a more supportive environment to aid the retention of women in office and speaks to institutional capacity and performance in the workplace.