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9780190915728

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This book, which reveals personal interviews with three quarters of the women serving in Congress today, will inform and inspire the thousands of women enthusiastically taking up the challenge of running for local, state or federal office. I am certain that the future of our country will be brighter and our democracy more vibrant because of the inspiratio provided by the exceptional women highlighted in this book. * Mary Landrieu, former U.S. Senator from Louisiana * Through extensive interviews Dittmar, Sanbonmatsu, and Carroll provide new insight into long standing questions about the impact of electing women to office. Leveraging the differences among women including race, ethnicity, and partisaship the authors tease out how women of differing backgrounds and political parties define representation and how their multiple identities influence their place in the institution of Congress and their ability to achieve their goals.This book will be required reading for students and scholars interested in representation, political parties, race, and gender. * Michele Swers Georgetown University * This is essential reading for anyone interested in making sense of how congress gets anything done in this era of extreme partisan polarization. Through the lens of women in congress, these scholars skillfully present the dogged persistence of those who are still determined to get things done, and are unwilling to forgo attempts at bi-partisa ship, despite the backlash from going against the grain. Throughout, these scholars theorize the impact of congresswomen navigating the politics of polarization amidstthe deeply ingrained gendered and racialized politics that mark the institution as well. * Wendy G. Smooth, Associate Professor, Womens Gender and Sexuality Studies and Political Science, The Ohio State University * This books portrayal of women in Congress, powerfully conveyed in their own words, irrefutably demonstrates that the presence of womens voices is essential to a governing democracy. It illustrates how collectively their unique experiences and perspectives are invaluable to the effectiveness of the legislative process. What is also revealed is how women so often foster the collaboration and consensus-building that is essential to solving problems and producing results. * Olympia Snowe, former U.S. Senator from Maine *

"""Through the narratives of women political actors on the front line, the book successfully conveys the message that women's political presence matters for the sustainment of a representative democracy. Furthermore, Dittmar et al.'s attention to the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, seniority, geography, district, and political party affecting women's legislative behavior in representing their constituents deserves appreciation."" -- Shan-Jan Sarah Liu, University of Edinburgh, Politics & Gender ""This book, which reveals personal interviews with three quarters of the women serving in Congress today, will inform and inspire the thousands of women enthusiastically taking up the challenge of running for local, state or federal office. I am certain that the future of our country will be brighter and our democracy more vibrant because of the inspiration provided by the exceptional women highlighted in this book."" - Mary Landrieu, former U.S. Senator from Louisiana ""This book's portrayal of women in Congress, powerfully conveyed in their own words, irrefutably demonstrates that the presence of women's voices is essential to a governing democracy. It illustrates how collectively their unique experiences and perspectives are invaluable to the effectiveness of the legislative process. What is also revealed is how women so often foster the collaboration and consensus-building that is essential to solving problems and producing results.""- Olympia Snowe, former U.S. Senator from Maine ""This is essential reading for anyone interested in making sense of how congress gets anything done in this era of extreme partisan polarization. Through the lens of women in congress, these scholars skillfully present the dogged persistence of those who are still determined to get things done, and are unwilling to forgo attempts at bi-partisanship, despite the backlash from going against the grain. Throughout, these scholars theorize the impact of congresswomen navigating the politics of polarization amidst the deeply ingrained gendered and racialized politics that mark the institution as well.""- Wendy G. Smooth, Associate Professor, Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies and Political Science, The Ohio State University ""Through extensive interviews Dittmar, Sanbonmatsu, and Carroll provide new insight into long standing questions about the impact of electing women to office. Leveraging the differences among women including race, ethnicity, and partisanship the authors tease out how women of differing backgrounds and political parties define representation and how their multiple identities influence their place in the institution of Congress and their ability to achieve their goals. This book will be required reading for students and scholars interested in representation, political parties, race, and gender.""- Michele Swers Georgetown University ""This book is required reading for anyone interested in the evolution of Congress and how members perceive their roles as representatives in a polarized era. The qualitative methodology helps to provide a holistic understanding of how congresswomen navigate and make a difference in a male-dominated institution. Through interviews with more than 75 percent of the women who served in the 114th Congress (2015-17), the authors successfully give voice to the multifaceted identities of congresswomen... Thus, this study points the way forward for students and scholars of gender and politics."" -- T. Lynch, University of St. Thomas, CHOICE"

Author Information

Kelly Dittmar is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Rutgers-Camden and Scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Her research focuses on gender and American political institutions with a particular focus on how gender informs campaigns and the impact of gender diversity among elites in policy and political decisions, priorities, and processes. She is the author of Navigating Gendered Terrain: Stereotypes and Strategy in Political Campaigns (Temple University Press). Kira Sanbonmatsu is Professor of Political Science and Senior Scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Her research interests include gender, race/ethnicity, political parties, and American politics. She is the author of Where Women Run: Gender and Party in the American States (University of Michigan Press) and Democrats, Republicans, and the Politics of Women's Place (University of Michigan Press), and the coauthor of More Women Can Run: Gender and Pathways to the State Legislatures (Oxford University Press). Her work has also appeared in journals such as Political Research Quarterly and Journal of Women, Politics, & Policy. Susan J. Carroll is Professor of Political Science and Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University and Senior Scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) of the Eagleton Institute of Politics. She is co-author of More Women Can Run: Gender and Pathways to State Legislatures (Oxford University Press, with Kira Sanbonmatsu) and co-editor of Gender and Elections: Shaping the Future of American Politics (Fourth Edition, Cambridge University Press, with Richard L. Fox). Carroll also has published numerous journal articles and book chapters focusing on women candidates, voters, elected officials, and political appointees in the United States.

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