Running as a Woman Gender and Power in American Politics

Women have become a strong force in electoral politics, as candidates, office holders, and vocal constituents. In Running as a Woman, Linda Witt, Karen Paget, and Glenna Matthews explore the significant issues for women in public life: their marital status, the threat of sexual innuendo, what’s involved in becoming a credible candidate, and raising enough money to run. They also explain how voters are mobilized to vote for women, how the media cover them, how they get their campaign message out, what it’s like to lose, and what difference women make once elected. In addition, Running as a Woman includes a compelling history of women in politics that both records the political role women have played throughout the last two centuries and explains how and why women have continually been stifled in their attempts to enter political life.

While the 1992 elections were hailed as a giant leap forward for women, the 1994 elections created a skepticism that real, permanent changes occurred. In Running as a Woman, the authors set the record straight with a chapter that analyzes the results of the 1994 elections and their relevance for women today.

Linda Witt is a prize-winning journalist with special expertise in women’s issues, politics, and health issues. 

Glenna Matthews is a historian who teaches at UC Berkeley and is author of The Rise of Public Women.

Karen M. Paget is a political scientist with extensive political and government experience.