Gender and energy policy making under the first Merkel government

Previous research has argued that female and male policy makers do not differ except on gendered policy issues, but little empirical research has actually examined the influence of a leader's gender in non-gendered policy areas. This article examines policy making under Chancellor Merkel in energy policy (not gendered), and compares it to policy making in reconciliation policy (a gendered issue). Significant changes in reconciliation policy were carried out under the leadership of Merkel's Minister for Family Affairs, Ursula von der Leyen. This article finds that on energy policy, in contrast, Merkel herself took a leadership role. For both policy areas, Merkel moved away from the traditional Christian Democratic standpoint. The article concludes that female leaders (perhaps particularly those on the right) may be more willing to take on a leadership role for non-gendered policy areas than on highly gendered ones. Therefore, the major difference by issue area is not so much what policy gets passed as how it gets passed.