Women's Political Discourse A 21st-Century Perspective

Although the United States ranks sixtieth internationally in women's political leadership, in 2004, a record nine women held governorships, sixty women served as House members with an additional three women elected as delegates from Washington, D.C., Guam, and the Virgin Islands, and fourteen women occupied Senate seats. How have these women managed to beat the odds in their successful attempts to enter national politics? How do they fruitfully participate in the political process once they gain entry into the sacred halls of Congress and the state house? Women's Political Discourse profiles women in the most highly visible political offices today, highlighting their communication strategies. Following an engaging overview of women's political discourse from the early twentieth century, the book features selected women governors, representatives, and senators of the past several decades, from Jeannette Rankin'¬ ;the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives'¬ ;to Hillary Rodham Clinton. The authors compare women's and men's political communication techniques and include helpful lists of the women governmental leaders of the twentieth and the twenty-first century. Exploring women's unique approaches to governing, Women's Political Discourse seeks to lay out innovative approaches to leadership.

Molly A. Mayhead is professor of speech communication at Western Oregon University Brenda Devore Marshall is professor of theater and communication arts at Linfield College