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The allocation of financial resources through a budgeting system can produce various outcomes based on what it prioritizes and who is involved in the process. Hence, many studies have examined diverse impacts of different budgeting systems and approaches. Yet our understanding is still limited regarding how involving or increasing the representation of underserved populations in the budget process contributes to better outcomes for those individuals. To fill this gap, this study examines how increased representation of women policy makers involved in the budget process influences budgeting decisions in support of women’s issues. In other words, how does shared gender identity impact budgeting performance, or decisions that increase expenditures that support women. Using a generalized method of moments (GMM), we find that women governors and an increased percentage of women state senators are associated with increased percentages of library and public mass transit system spending, respectively, where women are primary workers or clients. However, there is no statistically significant relationship between increased representation of women state house members and women-supportive expenditures. Our findings also indicate that the percentage of women senators has an inverted U-shaped relationship with elementary and secondary education spending and library spending.
Kim et al. (Wed,) studied this question.