How Women's Descriptive and Substantive Representation Affects Public Political Attitudes and Participation: Evidence Based on a Survey Experiment

As the representation of women in various political arenas continues to increase, it is worth examining how the presence of female officials influences public political attitudes and participation, especially of women. This study attempts to explore the effects and different mechanisms through which the descriptive representation and substantive representation of female officials impacts women's satisfaction with government, political efficacy, and willingness to participate in politics. To do this, this study constructs a 2×2 experimental scenario based on high and low levels of both descriptive and substantive representation of female officials, surveying 6324 citizens in China. The findings reveal that both the descriptive and substantive representation of female officials enhance women's satisfaction with government and their willingness to participate in politics. Moreover, this positive feedback is not limited only to women; it also positively influences male political attitudes and participation. Additionally, compared with substantive representation, the descriptive representation of female officials has a greater positive impact on public satisfaction with government and willingness to participate in politics.