Women make up more than half of the US population, yet as a group they hold fewer than a third of state legislative seats. Representation gaps like these translate into tangible differences in policy outcomes, from increased visibility of crimes against women to neonatal health and contraceptive access. The source of that gap in representation has been a topic of debate, but new research from Gies College of Business points to one possible cause that’s surprisingly simple: distance to the state capitol.

A study by Vanitha Virudachalam, assistant professor of business administration at Gies College of Business, shows that commute distance is a key factor in shaping who decides to run for office. In a Manufacturing & Service Operations Management article, she and coauthor Dawson Kaaua (Georgetown University) found that in states with full-time legislatures, long commutes deter women from seeking office. In states with part-time legislatures, which add a degree of flexibility, the opposite can be true.

"Anyone who has shouldered caregiving obligations while working outside the home knows that a one-hour commute adds a lot of complexity," said Virudachalam. "For many women, who still bear a disproportionate share of those responsibilities, a long commute can feel like an insurmountable barrier."

The Complexities of Juggling

Virudachalam was watching Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez debate then-congressman Joe Crowley in 2018 when she had an idea. In the debate, AOC brought up the issue of Crowley’s family not living in the district, just as she memorably argued in a campaign ad: “[a candidate who] doesn't live here, doesn't send his kids to our schools, doesn't drink our water or breathe our air, cannot possibly represent us." That moment planted the seed of a research question. How much does simple geography shape who feels able to serve?

"I remember thinking at the time that, even though I agreed with her on many issues, this sounded like someone who didn't seem to understand the complexities of juggling a commute with kids," said Virudachalam.

That realization was rooted in her own experience. During her doctoral studies, she navigated the challenges of raising a young child alongside the demands of graduate school and a lengthy commute.

Geography, Meet Institutional Design

In “Going the Distance: The Impact of Commute on Gender Diversity in Public Service,” Virudachalam and Kaaua illustrate how geography interacts with legislative structure. The researchers combined commute distance data with information on thousands of state legislative candidates across the US, examining how patterns shifted depending on whether the legislatures were full-time, part-time, or hybrid. In states with full-time legislatures, where lawmakers are expected to treat the role as their primary occupation, women are significantly less likely to run if their home districts are far from the capitol.

But in states with part-time legislatures, which typically pay less and meet less frequently, women from far districts are actually more likely to run. Kaaua and Virudachalam hypothesize that the flexibility of the part-time structure offsets the burden of commuting.

"Our research shows that when a long commute is paired with other types of flexibility, specifically part-time work, groups that traditionally view commuting as an obstacle may find it more feasible," said Virudachalam.

Hybrid legislatures, which fall between full-time and part-time, show neutral or slightly negative effects. It's not just the commute - it's the commute in combination with the design of the institution itself.

"To me, this suggests that women are navigating political work in the same way they navigate their careers. Women are more sensitive than men to work-life balance considerations, and part-time work allows for a degree of flexibility that women value and may mitigate the negative impact of other obstacles."

Flexibility outweighs many challenges, including commuting. If the institution signals that serving can be combined with other considerations, women adjust. If it signals an all-or-nothing commitment, they might opt out.

Pulling Policy Levers

Through survey experiments with students and past political candidates, Kaaua and Virudachalam tested how respondents valued different kinds of support. They examined three common policies to support working parents:

• Paid Parental Leave: Paid time off for parents after the birth or adoption of a child.
  
  
• Remote Work and Proxy Voting: Being able to work from home, and being able to delegate a colleague to cast a vote on your behalf.
  
  
• Daycare Benefits: Free onsite daycare for children under five years old.
  

The researchers found that younger prospective candidates placed the highest value on parental leave, while experienced candidates prioritized remote work and proxy voting. Ensuring that women who win elections can remain and advance requires attention to the unique realities of their lives.

"Our results are consistent with what we’ve learned from our conversations with politicians and advocates in this space," said Virudachalam, "While paid parental leave sounds good in theory, as a political representative, it's not really possible to have someone temporarily represent your district. So while that might be helpful in attracting more women to run for office, remote work policies will be more effective at retaining them."

The Politics of Work-Life Balance

Although this research focuses on political office, its implications reach beyond state capitols. Commute burdens have long been shown to affect job satisfaction and turnover. The remote work debates of the last five years have demonstrated the importance of flexibility to the modern worker. Commuting and institutional design impact who stays and thrives in workplaces everywhere.

Other research at Gies Business underscores the point. A recent workplace well-being report revealed that more than half of employees are "languishing" at work rather than flourishing, meaning they experience struggles with motivation and engagement. Another study identified the hidden cost of "relational overload" in connected workspaces, showing how constant demands on time and attention undermine performance. These findings highlight how institutional design, from commuting to calendaring and collaboration norms, shape performance, well-being, and retention.

"Additional flexibility, whether it's through part-time work, proxy voting, or being able to call into a meeting remotely, can encourage historically underrepresented groups to serve in public office," said Virudachalam. "We live in an age where there are technological solutions to the problem of commute distance, which is why it's important to acknowledge that this is holding some groups back from participating."

Paid leave, remote participation, and childcare support may sound like perks of the job, but in politics they may be avenues for access - ways to ensure those who live farther away from capitols aren't shut out from power.

"We live in a representative democracy, and ideally, our legislative bodies would be a reflection of the electorate, but they're not. Having diverse voices in government can ensure that the diverse needs of our population are met."