Party competition, gender quotas, and enhanced inclusiveness in the selection of vice-presidential candidates

Abstract

Vice presidents have acquired relevance in Latin American politics. We examine how party system change, societal change, and gender quotas affect the composition of executive tickets, incentivizing tickets to be more inclusive of diverse societal groups. Building on theories of recruitment and selection of executive and legislative candidates, we expect that party system fragmentation, an increasingly diverse society, and introduction of a gender quota alter the profile of running mates, priming more extensive group linkages, and less partisan credentials. Using an original database of 68 vice-presidential candidates in Costa Rica from all viable parties from 1974 to 2018, we find that credentials based on party and government experience have diminished, while group linkages and, to a lesser extent, policy expertise have increased and diversified, enhancing inclusion in executive tickets.