Gender and institutions: Do women prefer local governments?

• Grant number: 25/04762-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - Political Behavior
• Principal Investigator: Marta Teresa da Silva Arretche
• Grantee: Marta Teresa da Silva Arretche
• Visiting researcher: Patrick Cunha Silva
• Visiting researcher institution: Loyola University Chicago, United States
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07616-7 - CEM - Center for Metropolitan Studies, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Through this project, the Center for Metropolitan Studies (CEM) aims toinvestigate an aspect that has been so far mostly overlooked in the research led byProfessor Marta Arretche, the principal investigator (PI). This aspect pertains towomen's attitudes toward public services and local governments.With support from FAPESP through CEPID CEM, the PI conducted three waves(2014, 2018, 2024) of a survey on Brazilian voters' preferences regarding thevertical distribution of authority, more precisely, their attitudes toward the roles ofthe Union, states, and local governments.Preliminary analysis based on these surveys indicates that women are, onaverage, 6% more likely to prefer that local governments wield greater authority tomanage public policies. In contrast, the literature on comparative politics regardingpreferences for redistribution and welfare policies demonstrates that womentypically favor redistribution and welfare policies. The preliminary results from thesurvey conducted by the CEM hold significant importance because prior researchindicates that Brazilian voters often perceive the federal government as the mostcapable level for redistributing resources.With this project, the PI will continue to analyze the surveys in collaborationwith Professor Patrick Cunha Silva, an expert in women and gender politics and localgovernments.During Professor Patrick Cunha Silva's visit, the investigators will: (i) concludethe analysis of the three completed surveys (2013, 2018, and 2024 waves); (ii)design and field an experimental online survey to identify factors that may explainwomen's preferences for decentralized welfare policies; and (iii) design andimplement focus groups to qualitatively explore aspects identified in the analysesfrom the surveys and experimental study.Upon completing this project, the researchers will produce at least one coauthored paper for submission to a high-impact, English-language peer-reviewedjournal. (AU)