It is a direct, and correlated phenomenon.
The rise of the social spending started with giving the vote to women. It's documented.
They have proven themselves, on average, of being unfit for the responsibility of living in a Republic. (Which is why we ain't one now...)
Of course, if one had a legal structure where it was impossible for legislators to transfer money from one person to another, it wouldn't matter what woman wanted.
Change living to voting and I might even be inclined to agree with you.