Candidate Selection and Male Dominance in Europe’s New Democracies

Abstract

This chapter examines the supply and demand model of candidate recruitment in the context of post-communist Europe. Altogether, it seeks to make a prima facie case as to where the balance of the evidence lies with respect to identifying the mechanisms sustaining men's numerical over-representation in politics over the post-communist period. I find that that the mechanisms responsible for sustaining male over-representation in politics over the post-communist period are located primarily at the stage where party gatekeepers select candidates for political office. Additionally, there is also some (for now, limited) evidence that supply-side factors---time, rather than motivation---also play a role in the shift from eligible to aspirant. However, there is virtually no evidence that electorates in the post-communist region actively prefer male candidates to the extent that they vote against women in elections.