Abstract
Women’s active participation in society is increasingly encouraged in many developed democracies. It is also vital to national economic growth and global competitiveness to attract global business. In turn, women’s participation in the labor force requires more attention to the care sector and its role in the eco- nomic policy. If women and families demand from the government more generous welfare policies for children, the elderly, workers, and families, a national budget expansion could be necessary. As a result, if national budget deficit is exacerbated, global competitiveness could be weakened. In this regard, wom- en’s representation must play a role in democratic countries; therefore, if there are any differences in poli- cy preferences between men and women, an increase in the participation of women in politics could shift the direction of a national budget. This paper examines female lawmaker’s behaviors toward budget dis- cipline, using American legislative data. It has revealed that increased number of female lawmakers does not necessarily expand the nation’s budget deficit.
