Women have long been underrepresented in the American political system. While the inclusion rates of women have certainly grown over time, women remain underrepresented as a percentage of the population. This is especially true as one climbs the political ladder. There has never been a female president, the House of Representatives currently features 18.2-percent women, and 20-percent of senators are female. At the state level, women are more likely to be elected, but rates of inclusion still lag behind, and in fact, predict an underrepresentation of women at the national level.
The American political system, as an institution, is somewhat powerless to change this. After all, women are perfectly capable of running for office in a technical sense, and nothing in the law provides men with a prima facie advantage in gaining office. The American political system depends upon the voters, but there are other interest groups and critical stakeholders that can influence outcomes for women in politics. Perhaps the most important stakeholder group are the women who are involved in politics and those who would like to be. Women’s rights groups are also a critical bunch of stakeholders, as they seek fair representation of the issues that matter to them, and that representation is dependent upon a female voice in American politics. The American public is also a stakeholder in this regard. American citizens benefit when the American political reality is representative of the desires of the people.
The rationale behind the research of this issue is relatively easy to understand. Women represent just more than half of the American population. Laws have technically loosened up, allowing women to serve in a variety of roles. In the past, it might have been easy to know how why women were underrepresented. When laws and direct barriers to access are in place, it follows that the American political system would be exclusionary. This research project was selected because it can help to uncover the things that operate beneath the surface, limiting opportunities for women. Not only is this an opportunity to explore this particular issue, but it is also an excellent opportunity to explore the ways in which disparate outcomes can still result under facially neutral policy arrangements.
A variety of sources could potentially be used to uncover information about this topic. Among those sources, perhaps most important will be an interview with a female congressional representative. In learning why women are excluded from the political process, this interview will offer a realistic look into the barriers that currently exist.
Michael Mitchell’s book Black Women in Politics can provide a picture of the challenges that occur for minority women. While this takes a more specific view of the issue, it can shed light on the general challenges faced by women. Pamela Paxton’s book Women, Politics, and Power will provide a global perspective to allow for comparison between the US and other countries. Likewise, several articles will be used, including Shauna Shames’s Making Politics Personal, which will describe some of the challenges faced by young women as they try to get involved in the political process. Likewise, Zungura Mervis wrote an article placing into context democracy and women’s political participation. This article can provide context for understanding how the structure of democracy may limit women’s opportunities. A host of other popular and academic sources will be used to shed light on the problem, uncover what is being done about, and answer the research question.
The primary goal of this project will be to uncover information about the current reality for women seeking to get involved not only in politics at the national level, but also at the state level. It will seek to connect these different levels of the political process, ultimately answering the research question: Within the American political system, what barriers have caused an underrepresentation of women, and because the system itself is not equipped to remedy the issue, what is being done by which interest groups to remove the barriers and improve female participation in politics?
