Appointed
Policy Makers
in State
Government
A
Demographic Analysis:
Gender,
Race and Ethnicity Data
A Report
of the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society
Fall 2001
Appointed
Policy Makers
in State
Government
A
Demographic Analysis:
Gender,
Race and Ethnicity Data
A Report
of the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society
Fall 2001
Highlights
! Between 1997 and 2001, the percentage of women
appointed policy leaders jumped 6.6
points. Still, women appointees
lag 30.2 percentage points behind men.
! From the perspective of race and ethnicity, little
change occurred in the demographic
composition of state-level appointed policy leaders overall in the five
year period between
1997 and
2001.
! The number and percentages of women appointees in all
race and ethnicity categories except
American
Indian/Native Alaskan increased over the last five years. Across the country,
women now
hold 162 more top-ranking executive branch positions than they did in 1997.
Latinas
appointed to policy leadership posts advanced 142%.
! Governors are selecting women more frequently to serve
as top policy advisors. In 2001,
the
percentage of women holding high ranking staff positions in executive offices
of
governors
rose 4.8 percentage points over the previous two years.
! In over three-quarters of the states, the gender
composition of executive branch appointed
leadership more closely approximates the
gender composition of the general population than
was the
case five years ago.
Original data on policy leaders appointed by current governors were collected from the states via a mailed survey and follow-up phone calls as needed between May and September 2001. For the purpose of this study, “policy leaders” include the following two cohorts of gubernatorial appointees who develop, influence, and advise on public policy:
1. Department Heads - including heads of departments, agencies, offices, boards, commissions, and authorities.
2. Top Advisors in Governors’ Offices - including such titles as chief of staff, government liaison, and press secretary/communications director.
Only persons appointed by current governors and who have
policy-making responsibility are included in this report.
The study includes
state-based representativeness ratios. These measures document the degree to
which different groups are represented as appointed policy leaders.
Representativeness is achieved when the demographic
composition of top-ranking appointees mirrors that of the general population. Representativeness theory
is based on the presumption that demographic representativeness leads to
programs, policies, or decisions that benefit demographically diverse
populations.
Between 1997 and 2001, the percentage of women appointed policy leaders
jumped 6.6 points. Still, women
appointees lag 30.2 percentage points behind men.
From the perspective of race and ethnicity, little change occurred in the demographic composition of state-level appointed policy leaders overall in the five year period between 1997 and 2001.
Gender,
Race & Ethnicity of Policy Leaders Appointed by Governors,
1997-2001
|
|
|
|
1997 |
|
2001 |
Change |
||
|
|
|
|
# |
% |
|
# |
% |
in % |
|
Total Appointees |
|
1,806 |
100.0 |
|
1905 |
100.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Men |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
White |
|
|
1,135 |
62.8 |
|
1089 |
57.2 |
5.7 |
|
African American |
|
75 |
4.2 |
|
79 |
4.1 |
0.0 |
|
|
Latino |
|
|
35 |
1.9 |
|
29 |
1.5 |
0.4 |
|
Asian American/Pacific
Islander |
26 |
1.4 |
|
29 |
1.5 |
0.1 |
||
|
American Indian/Alaskan
Native |
11 |
0.6 |
|
10 |
0.5 |
0.1 |
||
|
Total |
|
|
1,295 |
71.7 |
|
1237 |
64.9 |
6.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Women |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
White |
|
|
431 |
23.9 |
|
547 |
28.7 |
4.8 |
|
African American |
|
48 |
2.7 |
|
70 |
3.7 |
1.0 |
|
|
Latina |
|
|
12 |
0.7 |
|
29 |
1.5 |
0.9 |
|
Asian American/Pacific
Islander |
10 |
0.6 |
|
18 |
0.9 |
0.4 |
||
|
American Indian/Alaskan
Native |
2 |
0.1 |
|
1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
||
|
Total |
|
|
511 |
28.30 |
|
665 |
34.9 |
6.6 |
The number and percentages of women appointees in all race and ethnicity categories except American Indian/Native Alaskan increased over the last five years. Across the country, women now hold 162 more top-ranking executive branch positions than they did in 1997. Latinas appointed to policy leadership posts advanced 142%.
Governors are selecting women more frequently to serve as top policy advisors. In 2001, the percentage of women holding top-ranking staff positions in the executive offices of governors rose 4.8 percentage points over the previous two years.
Ranking
of States
|
|
|
% Women Policy |
% Women in |
Rep. |
1997 |
1999 |
2001 |
|
State/Region |
Leaders |
Population |
Ratio |
Ranking |
Ranking |
Ranking |
|
|
Alabama |
|
25.0 |
51.7 |
0.48 |
47 |
39 |
45 |
|
Alaska |
|
30.0 |
48.3 |
0.62 |
12 |
26 |
32 |
|
Arizona |
|
40.0 |
50.1 |
0.80 |
24 |
30 |
13 |
|
Arkansas |
|
28.6 |
51.2 |
0.56 |
42 |
35 |
41 |
|
California |
|
32.1 |
50.2 |
0.64 |
23 |
45 |
30 |
|
Colorado |
|
34.5 |
49.6 |
0.70 |
34 |
22 |
21 |
|
Connecticut |
|
30.8 |
51.6 |
0.60 |
45 |
48 |
38 |
|
Delaware |
|
32.1 |
51.4 |
0.63 |
25 |
24 |
31 |
|
Florida |
|
52.0 |
51.2 |
1.02 |
46 |
4 |
2 |
|
Georgia |
|
34.4 |
50.8 |
0.68 |
48 |
19 |
22 |
|
Hawaii |
|
32.0 |
49.8 |
0.64 |
28 |
16 |
28 |
|
Idaho |
|
25.0 |
49.9 |
0.50 |
8 |
37 |
43 |
|
Illinois |
|
25.0 |
51.0 |
0.49 |
32 |
40 |
44 |
|
Indiana |
|
34.3 |
51.0 |
0.67 |
26 |
29 |
23 |
|
Iowa |
|
42.4 |
50.9 |
0.83 |
16 |
9 |
9 |
|
Kansas |
|
35.9 |
50.6 |
0.71 |
37 |
18 |
19 |
|
Kentucky |
|
37.8 |
51.1 |
0.74 |
31 |
10 |
17 |