When Are Women as Corrupt as Men? Gender, Corruption, and Accountability in the UK Parliamentary Expenses Scandal

Abstract

Abstract Are women less corrupt than men? Although research reinforced this popular assumption, proposing more women in government to reduce corruption, recently scholars have challenged it. Analyzing the 2009 UK parliamentary expenses scandal using a gendered institutionalist approach, we show women office-holders’ propensity for corruption is context dependent. Male and female office-holders engage in similarly corrupt behavior when accountability is low. But subsequently when accountability is high, they respond to and are treated differently for perceived “wrong-doing.” Comparing low- and high-accountability contexts using in-depth case-study research shows how the relationship between corruption, accountability, and risk aversion is gendered.