Publication

This paper supplements sociological explanations of women's economic status with an exploration of the effects of partisan and electoral variables. The author presents a comparative portrait of four industrialized countries, finding that women are more likely to profit from policies arising from proportional electoral systems. He argues that the centrifugal effects of proportional systems give labor a stronger political voice than do effects of plurality systems. Using fertility as an indicator, however, the author suggests that, in some cases, strong labor unions may actually make it more difficult for women to break into the work force on an equal basis.