Queens

Do states experience more peace under female leadership? We examine this question in the context of Europe over the fifteenth to twentieth centuries. We use gender of the firstborn and presence of a sister among previous monarchs as instruments for queenly rule. We find that polities led by queens e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of political economy 2020-07, Vol.128 (7), p.2579-2652
Main Authors: Dube, Oeindrila, Harish, S. P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Division of labor
First born
Kings
Leadership
Peace
Political economy
Queens
Spouses
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Summary:Do states experience more peace under female leadership? We examine this question in the context of Europe over the fifteenth to twentieth centuries. We use gender of the firstborn and presence of a sister among previous monarchs as instruments for queenly rule. We find that polities led by queens engaged in war more than polities led by kings. While single queens were more likely to be attacked than single kings, married queens were more likely to attack than married kings. These results suggest asymmetries in the division of labor: married queens were more inclined to enlist their spouses in helping them rule, which enabled them ultimately to pursue more aggressive war policies.
ISSN:0022-3808
1537-534X
DOI:10.1086/707011