Julie Dolan is Professor of Political Science at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. She earned her PhD from American University. Her scholarly interests include American government and politics, women and politics, and bureaucratic politics. She has received a number of prestigious awards for her scholarship and publishes in a variety of journals including Women & Politics, Public Administration Review, PS: Political Science and Politics, the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. Her most recent research focuses on issues of political representation in the bureaucracy.

Melissa M. Deckman is the Louis L. Goldstein Professor of Public Affairs and Chair of the Political Science Department at Washington College. She earned her PhD from American University. Her areas of specialty include religion and politics, women and politics, and American political behavior, and she publishes in a variety of journals, including Journal of Women, Politics, and Public Policy, PS: Political Science and Politics, and American Politics Research, which most recently published her work (coauthored with John McTague) on the impact of the "War on Women" on the 2012 presidential election. Her forthcoming book, Mama Grizzlies and Politics, examines the role of women in the Tea Party in America.

Michele L. Swers is Professor of American Government in the Department of Government at Georgetown University. She earned her PhD from Harvard University. Her research and teaching interests encompass Congress, congressional elections, and women and politics. She has written two books on women and representation in Congress: The Difference Women Make: The Policy Impact of Women in Congress and Women in the Club: Gender and Policy Making in the Senate.

List of Figures and TablesPreface Acknowledgements About the Authors 1 Introduction and Theoretical FrameworkHistory and Women's Political InterestsWomen's RepresentationPart I: Women's Paths to Power2 Women's Paths to PowerWomen in Social Movements and Interest GroupsEarly Women Activists and the Fight for SuffrageFeminism, the Second Wave (1960s-Present)The Rebirth of the Feminist Movement The Emergence of the Older and Younger Branches of the Feminist MovementsThe Equal Rights AmendmentWomen and Interest GroupsConservative Women's Groups Fight BackReinvigoration of the Feminist Movement and Conservative Women's Activism Conclusion3 The Gender Gap in Elections and Public OpinionCourting the Women's Vote: The Early YearsThe Emergence of the Modern Gender GapThe Gender Gaps: Voting Trends Across Different Groups of WomenIssues That Explain the Gender GapCourting the Women's Vote in a Competitive Political ClimateDoes the Gender Gap Bring Women Political Power? Do Women Vote for Women?Hillary Clinton and the Women's VoteConclusion4 Gender and the Decision to Run for OfficeA Confidence Gap: Women Underestimate Their Political Abilities Political Parties' Efforts to Incorporate WomenFamily ConstraintsSymbolic Representation: Does It matter if Women Run for Office?Conclusion5 Women on the Campaign TrailChallenges on the Campaign TrailVoter Stereotypes About Female CandidatesMedia Coverage of Female CandidatesFemale Presidential and Vice Presidential CandidatesNavigating Gender on the Campaign Trail: The 2016 ElectionsConclusionPart II: Women in Power6 Women in Local Politics and GovernmentDescriptive Representation: Women Serving in Local GovernmentThe Numbers: Women as Mayors and Local ExecutivesThe Numbers: Women on City and County CouncilsThe Numbers: Women Serving as School Board Members, Clerks, Sheriffs, and Other Local OfficersWhat Determines Women's Representation in Such Offices?Local Office as Stepping Stones: Filling the Pipeline?Substantive Representation: Does Having Women in Local Government Matter? Women as Political Actors Outside of GovernmentConclusion7 Women in Congress and the State Legislatures Women and Representation Women's Representation in Legislative Bodies Around the WorldWomen's Representation in Congress and the State Legislatures across TimeThe Advancement of Women in CongressWomen in Congress and State Legislatures: A Distinctive Impact on Policy?Party, Ideology, and Constituent Interests Race, Ethnicity, and Social ClassInstitutional PositionGender, Race, and Institutional NormsCritical Mass and Policy InfluenceWomen in LeadershipConclusion8 Women in the Executive BranchWomen's Access to the Executive Branch: Masculinity, Power, and the Executive BranchDescriptive RepresentationPresidential and Gubernatorial CabinetsCareer Civil Service/State and Local BureaucraciesLinking Descriptive and Substantive Representation: Do Women Make a Difference?Challenges to Providing Substantive RepresentationPower and Leadership StyleConclusion9 Women in the Judiciary Why the Courts are ImportantWomen in the JudiciaryWomen on the Supreme Court

O'Connor, Ginsburg, and Beyond: Gender and the Supreme CourtWomen in the State Judiciary The Difference Women Judges MakeDo Women Judges Use A "Different Voice"?

Empirical Studies: The Impact of Sex on Jurisprudence
Gender and the Supreme Court: Why Gender Matters
Beyond the Essentialist Argument: Why Gender Still MattersConclusion Appendix A: "Declaration of Sentiments" and "Resolutions"Adopted by the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848Appendix B: National Organization for Women's Bill of Rightsand Redstockings ManifestoReferences Index