Textbook Reading
Nancy E. McGlen, Karen O'Connor, Laura can Assendelft, Wendy Gunther-Canada
Political Participation
-Expect women less involved then men, however women are equal in participation in politics
Voter Turnout
-2/3s of men but only 1/3 of all women voted in 1923, Chicago
-Women chose not to vote, especially immigrant and uneducated women
-South, attitudes more conservative, poll tax + racial discrimination eliminated many voters, only few women went to polls
-LWV help educate women about politics and political activity
-Areas with advantageous political parties to register women, registration rates for wmn were higher
-Great Depression of 1930's politicized immigrants, lower=class women + young people
-1920: women favored Repub party, by 1932, women strong ties w/democrats
-1964-1978 slightly less women then men vote, since 1980 women have voted more then men
-whites have highest participation rates, largest gender gaps in African Americans + Hispanics
-African American women have greater feminist beliefs from double discrimination
-Hispanic voters greater ties to community, especially church
-Small children make it hard for women to get to polls
-Greater number of women in electorate, women could be forceful presence if they voted as a bloc
Issue Positions
-Few gender differences across views
-Women typically opposed to war and use of force more generally
-1980: avg 9% gender differences on 87% of questions
-terrorist attacks, sep 11, seemed to erase gender differences
-Women more likely to say sep 11 was life-altering and still following news about terrorism at two-months after attacks
-78% men, 74% women approved of going to Iraq
-women's slightly different views more favorable to Dems
-women : less militaristic, opposed to force in nonmilitary situations, protect environment, help economically disadvantaged, achieve racial equality, less likely to bo optomistic about country's future
-gender gap over 20% women choose more liberal positions
-women's issues effect vote only when "electoral environment" emphasizes gender
Party Identification
-how individual views themselves in parties
-prior to 1968 men and women little differences
-women more likely to identify with democrats now
Voting Patterns
-electoral gender gap as well
-Eleanor Smeal first used gender gap
-Reagan's "woman problem", battled by focusing on the women who would vote for him
-Dems nominated Geraldine Ferraro as VP candidate but didn't use her to champion women's issues in fear of angering male voters (backfired)
-lots of explanations for gender gap, ERA, militarym SES
-Feminization of Poverty
-subgroups of women drive gender gap not women as a group
-economically disadvantaged and minority women for Dem Party
Political Activism
-lobbying, campaign work, office holding
Lobbying Community Involvement
-women play role in organizing charitable and civic projects on PTA and local library boards
-Womn lead pressing local officials to include family, children's and women's issues
-women loby a lot at local level, altered policies of local libraries and provided chid=care services and provided centers for victims of rape
-wmn activists make personal problems political
-african american women huge contributions to antilyching campaigns and civil rights movement
-men slightly more liikely to work informally to deal with community problem
-women restrict activity to local affairs more
-women generally more concerende with education
-Americans have reduced commections with their communites
Campaign and Party Work
-involvement run counter to cultural expecataions, viewed as exclusively male
-Polling places were located in pool halls and bars, addition of women to the electorate also altered game of politics
-Women not being asked to become involved in campaigns
-LWV adopted nonpartisan posture
-1952: gradual decline in overall disparity in campaign activity btwn sexes
-lag slightly behind men on these measures, lesslikely to wear campaign buttons, lower levels political and economic resources
-2000: 17% of men and 9% of women contributed moent
-wmn essential in maintenance of both major political parties, do daily work of keeping parties functioning
-Dem party: 50-60% state party officials African American or women
-Women more liberal
Office Holding
-1917-1970 women never constitued more then 5%
-1991: 18.3% of state houses and 6% of Congress
-108 wmn won partie's nomination for seats in house and 11 in the Senate, 1992
-1st African American Woman to take seat in Senate: Carol Moseley Braun
-Wmn 13.7% of 108th congress, 73 women
-state levels have more gradual advances, women now hold 25.3% of executive positions
-17 wmn=lieutenant gov, 5=attorney general, 10 sec of state + nine as state treasurer
Barriers to Women in Elected and Appointed Positions
-Barriers: five categories: stereotypes, career choice, trad fam demands, sex discrimination, and political system
-deter women from running, keep ones who run from succeeding
-women still as likely as men to win
-women fail to "toss their hat in the ring"
Stereotypes
-Women and men thought women running for office was innapropriate
-women less likely at every time interval to be as interested as men in elective + appointive office
-both young men and women perceive the barriers
-80% agree that it is very or somewhat hard for a woman to run for political office
-Women have hard time breaking into politics
Media Bias
-Women sentatorial candidates are routinely portrayed as less viable than male candidates
-stereotyping articles+reader reaction might help explain women's lower success
-media bias is possibly diminishing pipeline of women's leadership
-reporters focus on personal characteristics of women candidates, age, marriage, family, personality, and appearance
-gender plays role in establishing viability of candidate, news media coverage can disadvantage women.
-Dole not receive quantity or quality of coverage
-Women have to think of public perceptions
-In commercials women dressed more formally and used male announcers, stressed compassionate side
-women present themselves differently from men in order to achieve same lvl of effectiveness
-need for women to provide record w/tangible examples, preferably w/nontrad wmn issues like crime/taxes/economy
Career Choice and Preparation
-trad female occupations less compatible w/politics (teaching, nursing)
-makes less wmn in "eligibility pool" which makes less wmn in politics
-relationship btwn # of wmn lawyers and # of wmn legislators
-75% of wmn in 108 Congress had previous elective office
-many successful wmn have pursued women's careers
family Demands
-public perceptions that wmn w/ (young) kids = less suited for office
-wmn postpone running for office until their kids are grown
-wmn officers less likely then men to half young children
-conflict btwn parenthood +politics
-Jane Swift: pregnant w/1st child when elected lieutenant gov of Mass in 1998, replaced Paul Cerlucci as gov in 2001 but widely criticized. 2001, premature labor w/twins + held meetings using speaker phone from hospital bed
-Nancy Pelosi came to congress in her 40s after her 5 kids were grown
-no young wmn building seniority
-politics needs to be more family friendly
-1/3 Americans say less likely to vote for woman if pregnant
-2 wmn Clinton considered nominating for attourney general withdrew after revealed that they had employed undocumented aliens to care for thair kids
-Spousal preference: acceptance/ecouragement of political activity by spouse + family = crucial
-shared marraiges where both partneers have careers = more after women's movement
-more wmn then men in elected officials = not married
-wmn either remain childless, have fewer kids, delay political career until after kids are older, remain single, or marry supportive spouse
Sex Discrimination
-wmn seldom recruited by party, often discouraged from running
-women disproportionately encouraged to run in unwinnable races/ "woman's seat" (where there already is a woman)
-African American women more underrepresented then men
Political System
MONEY
-Adequate funding=essential for successful campaign
-incumbants have fundrasing advantages (win over 90% of reelection bids)
-women have to raise more money then male incumbants to unseat them
-money provided by women's PACs
-campaign fund deficit of women in 1970 declined in 1980s
-1988+1992 women outraised men
-political experience/incumbancy status have greater influence on fundraising then gender
-wmn = fewer contacts with rich people
CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS
-Geraldine Ferrero and to sell property + take out personal loans to raise money for campaign
-Now 49 PACs for women: EMILY's List, NOW PAC, WISH List
-financial obstacles help lifted by these PACs
-Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act bans soft moeny, increases amount individuals can contribute
PARTY ORGANIZATION
-wmn candidates= marginal party support
-wmn may actually get more money then men from the party
-2003: 113 dem wmn entered House races, only 73 repubs
-1994: Repub wmn = 50% success + Dem wmn 38% success
-"triple play of wmn in politics" -deciding to run, contributing money, working in campaigns"
ELECTORAL SYSTEMS
-avg of 14% of parliamentary seats worldwide.
-US below national avg
-US electoral system of single-member "winner-take all districts"
-Other countries=bigger districts w/more reps (2nd + 3rd place win too
INCUMBENCY
-political system favors incumbents
-90% of Congress seek reelection + win
-# wmn candidates relflects # of competitive opportunities available to wmn
-1/3 wmn obtain seats in special elevtions (when incumbanet left office btwn elections)
-"women's nature" makes more difficult for wmn to run against incumbant
-1992: unprecedented # of open seats + alot of media coverage
-wmn have advantage when they run as women
-term limits would force male incumbents to retire so wmn can run, but then wmn incumbents forced out too
-Congress incumbents so far avoided term limits
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