Women, Politics, and Power

Pamela Paxton is the Linda K. George and John Wilson Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in economics and sociology and her PhD in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has consulted for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Academies. She has intersecting research interests in prosocial behavior, politics, gender, and methodology. She is the author of articles and books on women in politics, nonprofits, and quantitative methodology. Her research has appeared in a variety of journals, including American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology, Social Forces, Comparative Politics, International Studies Quarterly, and Legislative Studies Quarterly. She is also an author of Nonrecursive Models: Endogeneity, Reciprocal Relationships, and Feedback Loops (2011).Melanie M. Hughes is a professor of sociology, has a secondary appointment in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, and is a codirector of the Gender Inequality Research Lab (GIRL) at the University of Pittsburgh. She holds a BA in government and sociology from the University of Texas and an MA and PhD in sociology from the Ohio State University. Her research considers how gender intersects with other forces of marginalization to influence women’s political power. She has published numerous articles on women’s legislative representation cross-nationally in journals such as American Political Science Review, American Sociological Review, European Journal of Political Research, and Politics & Gender. Currently, she is consulting with the United Nations Development Programme to increase the availability of data on women in decision-making positions in public administration. She is also writing a book on the political dominance of men from majority racial, ethnic, and religious groups worldwide.Tiffany D. Barnes is professor of Government at the University of Texas at Austin. She received a BA in political science from Southwestern University and her PhD in political science from Rice University. Her research focuses on gender and politics, Latin America, and comparative political institutions. Her first book Gendering Legislative Behavior (Cambridge University Press 2016) won the Alan Rosenthal Prize in 2017. Her newest book, Working Class Inclusion (Cambridge University Press 2023) won the Richard F. Fenno Jr. Prize (2024). Her other research appears in journals such as the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, and Politics & Gender. She was awarded the Emerging Scholar Award from the Legislative Studies Section of the APSA and the Early Career Award from the Midwest Women’s Caucus for Political Science. She formerly served as the president for the Midwest Women’s Caucus, editor of Legislative Studies Quarterly, and associate editor at Research & Politics. She is currently an executive editor at the British Journal of Political Science and a series editor for Cambridge Elements in Gender & Politics Series.

Women, Politics, and Power is my go-to course book for undergraduate courses and an essential resource for graduate students and scholars working on gender and politics. It expertly reviews the most cutting-edge research and puts it all in conversation with where the discipline is heading.

• List of IllustrationsPrefaceAbout the Authors1Introduction to Women in Politics Arguments for Women’s Representation in Politics The Story of Mukhtar Mai: Village Council Justice Wife Beating in Nigeria: De Jure versus De Facto Law Standing Against Party: The Sister Senators of South Carolina Resist a Total Abortion Ban Justice Arguments for Women’s Representation Utility Arguments for Women’s Representation A Brief Overview of Women’s Participation in Politics Orienting Theories Power The Dimensions of Power: An Example Gender and Gender Stratification Gender and Power Concepts: Patriarchy, Public versus Private, and Intersectionality Feminist Institutionalism Overview of the Book 2Women Struggle for the Vote: The History of Women’s Suffrage Suffrage in the United States Women’s Suffrage and the US Constitution Gender Transgressions at the Polls in Early AmericaWomen and the Antislavery Movement: The Struggle Begins The Leadership, Organization, and Tactics of the Early Suffrage Movement Black Women and the US Suffrage Movement The State Suffrage Movement: Why the West Was Best Partnering with the Progressive Movement Opposition to Women’s Suffrage Women Gain the Vote: The Events Leading to the Passage of the 19th Amendment Suffrage Movements outside the United States Movement Size, Composition, and Alliances Goals and Ideology Movement Opposition Tactics and Level of Militancy Women’s Suffrage after 1945 Women Exercising Their Vote 3Positions and Pathways: Women’s Representation in Government Government Structures and Positions of Power Women Presidents and Prime Ministers Paths to Power for Women National Leaders Difficulties Faced by Women Leaders Women in Cabinet Positions Women in Parliaments Milestones and Historical Trajectories Women in Parliaments Today Women in the Judiciary Women in Subnational Governments 4Intersectionality and Difference Thinking Intersectionally Slower and Lower: Double and Triple Barriers in Politics Multiple Barriers to Indigenous Women in Politics Multiple Barriers to Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Intersex People in Politics The Puzzle of Success: Strategic Opportunities and Complementarity When Identities Collide: The Rights and Representation of Minority Women When All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men: Invisibility and Its Political Consequences But Who Represents Us? Multiple Marginalization and Symbolic Representation 5Explaining the Political Representation of Women: Culture A Woman’s Place in History: Women in Political Philosophy A Woman’s Place Today: The Continuing Power of Culture Regional Differences Religion Cultural Attitudes Culture and Women’s Representation in Politics Ambition Role Model Effects Media 6Explaining the Political Representation of Women: Social Structure Economic Development Money Time Civic and Political Skills Education Work Networks Beyond Meritocracy Violence against Women in Politics 7Explaining the Political Representation of Women: Politics Democracy Democratic Leaders Appoint More WomenDemocracies May Not Elect More WomenDemocratic Transitions and Backslides Selection Mechanisms Electoral Systems Why Are Proportional Representation Systems Good for Women? Types of Proportional Representation Systems Are the Same Systems and Rules Good for All Women? Political Appointments Cabinet AppointmentsJudicial Appointments Political Parties’ Characteristics From Candidate to Legislator Quotas What Kinds of Quotas Are There and Which Are Better? Threshold for Representation Candidate Quotas, Political Party Quotas, and Reserved Seats Quotas, Looking beyond Gender ¡SOY JUANA, No “Juanita”!: Quota Reform in Mexico Looking beyond National Legislatures The Adoption of Gender Quotas Do Quotas Affect Candidate Quality? Can Quotas Disrupt Men’s Power? 8Explaining the Political Representation of Women: International Factors The International Women’s Movement Women’s Activism: United Nations, WINGOs, and International Protest Women’s Activism Increases the Supply and Demand of Women in Politics Foreign Aid and Women’s Representation The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women Armed Conflict and Women’s Access to Power: International Dimensions 9Do Women Make a Difference? Thinking Differently: Women’s Views on Women and Their Policy Priorities Acting Differently: Women’s Voting Patterns, Bill Sponsorship, and Appellate Court Rulings Acting Successfully: Women’s Legislative Effectiveness Legislating Differently: Women’s Legislative Style Do Numbers Matter? Women’s Movements and Women’s Policy Machinery Winning Hearts and Minds: Symbolic Representation 10The West and the United States The Geography of Women in Politics Western Industrialized Countries Success Stories: Early Nordic Growth, Parity, and Imbalanced Cabinets Backlash: Harassment and Violence Against Woman Politicians Women in the European Union Middle of the Pack: The United States Women in the US Senate and House of Representatives: Growing Slowly Women in the States Women in the State Legislature Women Governors Women and the American Presidency I Just Don’t Think She Has a Presidential Look Explanations—Culture Explanations—Structure (Eligibility) Explanations—Politics Gender Gaps in American Politics Party Affiliation Voter Turnout Campaign Activities 11Eastern Europe and Central Asia The Fall of the Soviet Union: Women Fall Too Variation in Recovery Explaining Women’s Political Power since 1990 Eastern and Central Europe and the European Union Populism and the Far-Right Bring Backslides Women Press Back12Latin America and the Caribbean Legacies of Culture in Latin America Democratization and Women’s Political Empowerment Women’s Participation in Guerrilla Warfare and Revolutionary Movements Women’s Participation in Protest Movements Participation to Representation? Gender Quotas Obstacles to Women’s Political PowerWomen in Subnational Governments Make Big Gains Setbacks and Challenges for Women in Politics 13Middle East and North Africa An Overview and Brief History of the Region What Explains Women’s Underrepresentation? Why Authoritarian Leaders Grant Women Rights Changes Come to Women of the Gulf Coast Region Wins for Women in Bahrain A “Sudden Surge” in the UAE Forces for Change in the Region Gender Quotas: A Look at Early Adopters Raising Awareness about Women’s Underrepresentation in Turkey Women and the Arab Spring Tahrir Square Brings Little Improvement for Women in Egypt After the Arab Spring 14Asia and the Pacific Cultural Influences on Women in Politics in Asia and the Pacific Islands Confucianism Honor Culture Women Voters (Not) Supporting Women Politicians Family Ties and Clientelism Party Politics and Local Gender Quotas Local Gender Quotas in India: Women in the Panchayat Raj Women in Afghanistan 15Sub-Saharan Africa Colonialism One-Party Rule, Democracy, and Democratization Women, Ethnicity, and Ethnic Politics Armed Conflict: Devastation Yet Hope? Increasing the Supply of Women Candidates Changing Culture Creating Opportunities and Changing Politics Gender and the Presidency in Africa16Where Do We Go from Here? And How Do We Get There? Where Are We Now? Where Are We Going? How Do We Get There? Furthering Women’s Position in the Social Structure Influencing Culture Disrupting Politics as Usual In Conclusion: What Would a 50/50 World Look Like? Glossary References Index