In all the research on state-level variation in welfare policy, one thing is clear: race, ethnicity, and representation matter. In this paper, we argue that gender matters as well. Our primary research question is whether the election and incorporation of women into state legislatures has any...

Explanations for racial gaps in national policy opinion are often complicated by overlapping class/material and identity-based forces. If blacks are more favorable to racial or social welfare policies, it is difficult to know whether their material interests or their identification as a member...