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Women at the Top: Leadership, Institutions and the Quality of Democracy

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Women Presidents and Prime Ministers in Post-Transition Democracies

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Political Leadership ((PSPL))

Abstract

Women’s contributions to Third Wave transitions from authoritarian rule toward democracy have been well documented. They helped make democracies more open and pluralistic, strengthened civil society and broadened the definition of leadership to include ‘female’ as well as ‘male’ qualities. As the number of women reaching top-level positions in democracies increases, women are gaining access to and exercise power in countries that are classified as democratic, but which often fall well short of the democratic ideal. Research on women and political power needs to broaden its focus from the ‘women and democracy’ narrative, which equates democratic quality with gender outcomes, to study the concrete impacts of women’s leadership in specific cases. In the face of growing skepticism about democracy and increasing economic and political uncertainty, how can women’s leadership strengthen liberal democratic institutions and help assure that democratic governance can be sustained?

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jane S. Jaquette

Authors
  1. Jane S. Jaquette
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pennsylvania State University, Greater Allegheny, McKeesport, Pennsylvania, USA

    Verónica Montecinos

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Jaquette, J.S. (2017). Women at the Top: Leadership, Institutions and the Quality of Democracy. In: Montecinos, V. (eds) Women Presidents and Prime Ministers in Post-Transition Democracies. Palgrave Studies in Political Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48240-2_2

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