Women and Politics

Julie Dolan is Professor of Political Science at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. She earned her PhD from American University. Her scholarly interests include American government and politics, women and politics, and bureaucratic politics. She has received a number of prestigious awards for her scholarship and publishes in a variety of journals including Women & Politics, Public Administration Review, PS: Political Science and Politics, the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. Her most recent research focuses on issues of political representation in the bureaucracy. Melissa M. Deckman is the Louis L. Goldstein Professor of Public Affairs and Chair of the Political Science Department at Washington College. She earned her PhD from American University. Her areas of specialty include religion and politics, women and politics, and American political behavior, and she publishes in a variety of journals, including Journal of Women, Politics, and Public Policy, PS: Political Science and Politics, and American Politics Research,which most recently published her work (coauthored with John McTague) on the impact of the “War on Women” on the 2012 presidential election. Her forthcoming book, Mama Grizzlies and Politics, examines the role of women in the Tea Party in America.Michele L. Swers is Professor of American Government in the Department of Government at Georgetown University. She earned her PhD from Harvard University. Her research and teaching interests encompass Congress, congressional elections, and women and politics. She has written two books on women and representation in Congress: The Difference Women Make: The Policy Impact of Women in Congress and Women in the Club: Gender and Policy Making in the Senate.

Women and Politics delivers the best and most comprehensive text on women’s access to and participation in the political process in the United States. It’s sweeping in its breadth, covering historical as well as contemporary examples, from local school board and city council politics to the presidency and the Supreme Court, and with illustrations of conservative and progressive women, both Republican and Democrat. It uses theory to explore contradictions and anecdotes to make the controversies come alive. This is the perfect text for a gender and politics course.

• List of Figures and Tables ixPreface: Updated 4th Edition xiAcknowledgments xxxiAbout the Authors xxxv1 Introduction and Theoretical Framework 1History and Women’s Political Interests 3Women’s Representation 7PART I: WOMEN’S PATHS TO POWER2 Women’s Paths to Power 13Women in Social Movements and Interest Groups 13Early Women Activists and the Fight For Suffrage 14Feminism, the Second Wave (1960s–Present) 22The Rebirth of the Feminist Movement 23The Emergence of the Older and Younger Branches of theFeminist Movement 25The Equal Rights Amendment 32Women and Interest Groups 37Conservative Women’s Groups Fight Back 42Reinvigoration of the Feminist Movement and ConservativeWomen’s Activism 45Conclusion 533 The Gender Gap in Elections and Public Opinion 55Courting the Women’s Vote: The Early Years 56The Emergence of the Modern Gender Gap 59The Gender Gaps: Voting Trends Across Different Groups ofWomen 65Issues That Explain the Gender Gap 68Women’s Vote in a Competitive Political Climate 72Does the Gender Gap Bring Women Political Power? 83Do Women Vote for Women? 86Hillary Clinton and the Women’s Vote 89Conclusion 944 Gender and the Decision to Run for Office 97A Confidence Gap: Women Underestimate Their Political Abilities 101Political Parties’ Efforts to Incorporate Women 105Family Constraints 113Symbolic Representation: Does It Matter Whether Women Runfor Office? 115Conclusion 1205 Women on the Campaign Trail 123Challenges on the Campaign Trail 127Voter Stereotypes about Female Candidates 128Media Coverage of Female Candidates 135Female Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates 140Navigating Gender on the Campaign Trail: The 2016 Elections 143Conclusion 156PART II: WOMEN IN POWER6 Women in Local Politics and Government 159Descriptive Representation: Women Serving in Local Government 163The Numbers: Women as Mayors and Local Executives 165The Numbers: Women on City and Council Councils 169The Numbers: Women Serving as School Board Members,Clerks, Sheriffs, and Other Local Officers 171What Determines Women’s Representation in Such Offices? 174Local Office as Stepping-stones: Filling the Pipeline? 180Substantive Representation: Does Having Women in LocalGovernment Matter? 181Women as Political Actors Outside of Government 188Conclusion 1947 Women in Congress and the State Legislatures 197Women and Representation 198Women’s Representation in Legislative Bodies across the World 201Women’s Representation in Congress and the StateLegislatures across Time 204The Advancement of Women in Congress 208Women in Congress and State Legislatures: A DistinctiveImpact on Policy? 218Party, Ideology, and Constituent Interests 221Race, Ethnicity, and Social Class 225Institutional Position 228Gender, Race, and Institutional Norms 232Critical Mass and Policy Influence 233Women in Leadership 235Conclusion 2398 Women in the Executive Branch 241Women’s Access to the Executive Branch: Masculinity, Power,and the Executive Branch 243Descriptive Representation 246Presidential and Gubernatorial Cabinets 251Linking Descriptive and Substantive Representation: DoWomen Make a Difference? 257Challenges to Providing Substantive Representation 261Power and Leadership Style 265Conclusion 2679 Women in the Judiciary 269Why the Courts Are Important 272Women in the Judiciary 274Women on the Supreme Court 278O’Connor, Ginsburg, and Beyond: Gender and the Supreme Court 282Women in the State Judiciary 290The Difference Women Judges Make 296Do Women Judges Use A “Different Voice”? 297Empirical Studies: The Impact of Sex on Jurisprudence 300Gender and the Supreme Court: Why Gender Matters 304Beyond the Essentialist Argument: Why Gender Still Matters 307Conclusion 309Appendix A: “Declaration of Sentiments” and “Resolutions”Adopted by the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 311Appendix B: National Organization for Women’s Bill of Rightsand Redstockings Manifesto 315References 319Index 385