Gender and Elections: Shaping the Future of American Politics

by Susan J. Carroll, Richard L. Fox

Overview

The updated edition of this book describes the role of gender in the American electoral process through the 2008 elections. It strikes a balance between highlighting the most important developments for women as voters and candidates in the 2008 elections and providing a deeper analysis of the ways that gender has helped shape electoral politics in the United States. Individual chapters demonstrate the importance of gender in understanding presidential elections, voter participation and turnout, voting choices, the participation of African American women, congressional elections, the support of political parties and women's organizations, candidate communications with voters, and state elections. This updated volume also includes new chapters that analyze the roles of Latinas in US politics and chronicle the candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781316023662
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	11/16/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

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 of the Eagleton Institute of Politics. She is the author of Women as Candidates in American Politics, 2nd edition (1994) and editor of The Impact of Women in Public Office (2001) and Women and American Politics: New Questions, New Directions (2003).
Richard L. Fox is Associate Professor of Political Science at Loyola Marymount University. His research examines how gender affects voting behavior, state executive elections, congressional elections, and political ambition. He is the author of Gender Dynamics in Congressional Elections (1997) and co-author of Tabloid Justice: The Criminal Justice System in the Age of Media Frenzy (2001). He is also co-author, with Jennifer Lawless, of It Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office (Cambridge University Press, 2005).

Table of Contents

Introduction: gender and electoral politics in the early twenty-first century Susan J. Carroll and Richard L. Fox; 1. Presidential elections: gendered space and the case of 2008 Georgia Duerst-Lahti; 2. The 2008 candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin: cracking the 'highest, hardest glass ceiling' Susan J. Carroll and Kelly Dittmar; 3. Voter participation and turnout: female 'star power' attracts women voters Susan A. MacManus; 4. Voting choices: the politics of the gender gap Susan J. Carroll; 5. Latinas and electoral politics: movin' on up Christine Marie Sierra; 6. African American women and electoral politics: a challenge to the post-race rhetoric of the Obama moment Wendy G. Smooth; 7. Congressional elections: women's candidacies and the road to gender parity? Richard L. Fox; 8. Political parties and women's organizations: bringing women into the electoral arena Barbara Burrell; 9. Advertising, web sites, and media coverage: gender and communication along the campaign trail Dianne Bystrom; 10. State elections: where do women run? Where do women win? Kira Sanbonmatsu.

Editorial Reviews

'The fifth edition of Gender and Elections is a smart, refreshing take on contemporary gendered (and ethno-racial) politics in the post-Trump era. Written by leading experts in the field, each chapter is a masterclass on the multifaceted relationship between gendered processes and electoral politics. The book is wonderfully accessible to students who would like a detailed portrait of the role that gender continues to play in American elections. Furthermore, the attention paid to the diversity among and between women as political actors is a standout strength of this new edition.' Professor Nadia Brown, Georgetown University

'Given the historic nature of the 2020 elections for women as candidates, voters, and activists, it is good to have the latest volume of Gender and Elections to help us make sense of it all. With fresh perspectives on intersectional and institutional issues, the authors in this exciting volume present the most up-to-date analyses of those elections and where women stand today, for scholars and students alike.' Professor Kathy Dolan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

'Gender and Elections is a unique and invaluable resource for anyone teaching a class related to the role of gender in US elections. It combines the most up-to-date research from many different areas of gender and politics scholarship with a focus on the most recent elections, in a way that is theoretically sophisticated yet accessible for students.' Professor Tessa Ditonto, Durham University

'Gender and Elections is the essential source for studying the effect of gender in US elections. Each edition continues to be on the cutting edge of scholarship and takes the pulse of what is happening on the ground. The book chronicles the changing political landscape with an increasing number of women entering the electoral arena. Each chapter analyzes the advances women candidates have made in running for and winning elective office at every level of government, as well as the obstacles women continue to face. Students enjoy this textbook because it is thought-provoking and relevant to the political world they see around them. This compilation of research makes a significant contribution to the field, both theoretically and historically.' Kathryn DePalo-Gould, Florida International University

From the Publisher