https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399719888470 Administration & Society 1–30 © The Author(s) 2019 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/0095399719888470 journals.sagepub.com/home/aas Original Article Feminism, Masculinity, and Active Representation: A Gender Analysis of Representative Bureaucracy Alexis R. Kennedy 1 , Sebawit G. Bishu 1 , and Nuri Heckler 2 Abstract Representative bureaucracy examines how identity impacts bureaucratic decision-making. Under certain circumstances, identity congruence between government officials and citizens will result in positive outcomes. This article explores how representative bureaucracy literature studies the effects of gender identity and matching. Although studies demonstrate that context and organizational environment impact identity, scholars don’t systematically analyze how outcomes are affected by gender, rely predominantly on binary gender variables, seldom acknowledge organizations as masculine spaces, and don’t problematize masculinity. Using critical gender theory, we offer new proposals for how to expand our understanding of institutionalized gender norms as they relate to public sector decisions. Keywords representative bureaucracy, gender, masculinity, outcomes 1 University of Colorado Denver, USA 2 University of Nebraska Omaha, USA Corresponding Author: Alexis R. Kennedy, School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver, 1380 Lawrence St #500, Denver, CO 80204, USA. Email: alexis.kennedy@ucdenver.edu 888470AAS XX X 10.1177/0095399719888470Administration & SocietyKennedy et al. research-article 2019