Women & U.S. Politics: The Spectrum of Political Leadership

Nancy Pelosi's rise to speaker of the House of Representatives, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign: clearly women are moving to center stage in US politics. In this wide-ranging text, Lori Cox Han explores whether - and if so, how - their presence is changing the political process. Han first provides a solid context, thoroughly covering the history of the women's movement, suffrage, the contours of feminism, and issues of equality. She then turns to women as voters, activists, candidates, officeholders, and policymakers and provides a broad yet gendered look at both mass politics and political institutions. Substantially expanded and updated, this new edition offers thorough grounding in political science scholarship. It considers women in all arenas of government. It addresses diversity - including ideological diversity - in the women's movement. It includes biographical profiles of prominent women leaders. Throughout, Han highlights women's political leadership to engage students and stimulate classroom discussion about women's role in the operation of our governing institutions. It presents a concise yet wide-ranging introduction to the role of women across the spectrum of US politics.