About

The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is nationally recognized as the leading source of scholarly research and current data about women’s political participation in the United States. Its mission is to promote greater knowledge and understanding about the role of women in American politics, enhance women's influence in public life, and expand the diversity of women in politics and government.

CAWP’s education and outreach programs translate research findings into action, addressing women’s underrepresentation in political leadership with effective, intersectional, and imaginative programs serving a variety of audiences. As the world has watched Americans considering female candidates for the nation's highest offices, CAWP’s five decades of analyzing and interpreting women’s participation in American politics have provided a foundation and context for the discussion.

CAWP is a member of the Institute for Women's Leadership (IWL), a consortium of eight Rutgers units conducting research, education, and action around issues of women's leadership.

The Center for American Women and Politics is part of the Eagleton Institute of Politics, a respected education, research and public service unit of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

The Eagleton Institute of Politics explores state and national politics through research, education, and public service, linking the study of politics with its day-to-day practice. The Institute focuses attention on how contemporary political systems work, how they change, and how they might work better. Eagleton's faculty, centers and programs specialize in the study of: state legislatures and the state executive; public opinion polling and survey research; women's participation in politics; minority and immigrant political behavior; campaigns, elections, and political parties; civic education and political engagement; young elected leaders; climate change, social policy, and politics; and New Jersey politics.

The Institute includes the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) and the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP), both established in the early 1970's. For Rutgers graduate and undergraduate students, Eagleton offers a range of education programs, including an undergraduate certificate, graduate fellowships, research assistantships, and internships, and opportunities to interact with political practitioners. The Institute also convenes conferences and other forums for the general public. In addition, Eagleton undertakes projects to enhance political understanding and involvement, often in collaboration with political leaders, government agencies, the media, non-profit groups, and other academic institutions.