Breaking the Political Glass Ceiling: Women and Congressional Elections - Second edition

Why has the integration of women into Congress been so slow? Is there a "political glass ceiling" for women? Although women use the same strategic calculations as men to decide when to run, the decision regarding where to run is something else. While redistricting has increasingly protected incumbents, it also has the unintended consequence of shaping the opportunities for female candidates. The political geography and socio-economic profile of districts that elect women differ substantially from districts that elect men. With data on over 10,000 elections and 30,000 candidates from 1916 to the present, Palmer and Simon explore how strategy and the power of incumbency affect women’s decisions to run for office. Breaking the Political Glass Ceiling is the most comprehensive analysis of women in congressional elections available. The Second Edition is fully updated to reflect the pivotal 2006 mid-term elections, including Nancy Pelosi’s rise to Speaker of the House, Hillary Clinton’s bid for the presidency, and a record number of women serving as committee chairs. Additionally, the authors have created a website, found at politicsandwomen.com, to highlight key features of the book and provide updates throughout the election cycle. At the dawn of the new millennium, only twenty-five percent of elected state legislators were female, only five states had female governors, and a mere fourteen percent of the members of Congress were women. Extrapolating from data on women candidates in Congressional races from 1956 to 2002, Palmer and Simon explore how incumbency, social attitudes, and electoral strategy affect women's decisions to run for office. They dispel myths distorting our understanding of women candidates and challenge the reigning theories accounting for the low number of female Congress members. Breaking the Political Glass Ceiling is the most comprehensive analysis of women in Congressional elections available. "Breaking the Political Glass Ceiling is the most comprehensive analysis of women in congressional elections available. The Second Edition is fully updated to reflect the pivotal 2006 midterm elections, including Nancy Pelosi's rise to Speaker of the House, Hillary Clinton's bid for the presidency, and a record number of women serving as committee chairs. Additionally, the authors have created a website, found at politicsandwomen.com, to highlight key features of the book and provide updates throughout the election cycle."--BOOK JACKET Where We Were : Women Of The 1950s -- The Rise And Persistence Of The Political Glass Ceiling -- Political Ambition And Running For The U.s. House -- Political Ambition And Running For The U.s. Senate And Beyond -- Understanding The Glass Ceiling : Women And The Competitive Environment -- Understanding The Glass Ceiling : The Party Gap -- Understanding The Glass Ceiling : Women-friendly Districts -- Where We Are : Women In The 21st Century. Barbara Palmer And Dennis Simon. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 235-254) And Index. Explores the American "political glass ceiling" - how incumbency, strategy and redistricting effect the success of women candidates for Congress.