Women and Congressional elections : a century of change / Barbara Palmer and Dennis Simon.

9781588268402 paperback alkaline paper
1588268403 paperback alkaline paper
9781588268150 hardcover alkaline paper
1588268152 hardcover alkaline paper

Boulder, Colo. : Lynne Rienner Publishers, c2012.

English

xiv, 283 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.

HQ1236.5.U6 P36 2012

320.082

Since 1916, when the first woman was elected to the US Congress, fewer than 10 percent of all members have been women. Why is this number so extraordinarily small? And how has the presence of women in the electoral arena changed over the past hundred years? Barbara Palmer and Dennis Simon combine a rich analytical narrative, data on nearly 40,000 candidates, and colorful stories from the campaign trail in the most thorough accounting of women's performance in House and Senate elections ever presented. The authors go beyond the conventional wisdom as they explore the continuing underrepresentation of women in Congress. In the process, they show how the "rules of the game" -- together with an important cluster of demographic characteristics that can make a district more or less "women friendly" -- have shaped opportunities for female candidates across a century of US history. -- Publisher description.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 241-275) and index.

Tower Center political studies.

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