Are Politicians Less Responsive to Feminists? A Field Experiment on Biases in Democratic Responsiveness among Local Representative in South Korea

Anti-feminism is not only a political tool for electoral mobilization, but also a serious challenge to democracy, as it abhors gender equality, inclusiveness, and diversity. While existing research on anti-feminism focuses on the ‘public’ side of the phenomenon, from voter mobilization to anti-genderism framing on political decisions, this study aims to explore how anti-feminism affects the democratic responsiveness of politicians who represent their constituents. Using a novel audit experimental design with traceable email messages, we conducted a field experiment in South Korea and found evidence of discrimination in local legislators’ responsiveness to feminist demands. Bias in responsiveness was found to be pervasive regardless of the politician's gender and party affiliation.