Publications

CAWP research and research by CAWP scholars that addresses emerging questions about American women's political participation. 

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  • Article
    September 1, 2015

    Why Not a Woman of Color?: The Candidacies of US Women of Color for Statewide Executive Office

    This review essay focuses on the intersection of gender and race in statewide executive officeholding. The author argues that scholarly neglect of this topic risks naturalizing the dearth of women of color in statewide executive positions, sending the message that it is understandable that women lack access to those offices and/or that such offices aren’t realistically obtainable. Using data from the Center for American Women and Politics, the author examines the status of women of color in statewide offices and state and party patterns in their presence as candidates and officeholders. Directions for future research are suggested. 

  • Article
    May 7, 2015

    Electing Women of Color: The Role of Campaign Trainings

    The increasing racial diversity of women in the United States makes the underrepresentation of women of color in politics an important area for research. To better understand the reasons for the underrepresentation of women of color and how more women of color might be elected in the future, this article presents a case study of a unique campaign training program designed for women of color. The program is the Center for American Women and Politics’ (CAWP) New Jersey Ready to Run® Diversity Initiative. Campaign trainings have proliferated in recent years and seem to play a disproportionate role in women’s election to office. By examining perceptions of the barriers facing women of color and

  • Report
    April 5, 2015

    A National Call to Action: Teaching Young People About Women's Public Leadership and Promoting Public Leadership for Girls

    This report is an overview of the proceedings and outcomes of The White House Conference on Girls’ Leadership and Civic Education, convened by the White House, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Center for American Women and Politics. The conference explored the roots of the significant gender gap in public leadership and sought concrete, immediate ways to change how we educate, entertain and engage young people in order to expand the image of who can and does lead.

  • Book
    January 1, 2015

    Navigating Gendered Terrain: Stereotypes and Strategy in Political Campaigns

    From the presidential level down, men and women who run for political office confront different electoral realities. In her probing study, Navigating Gendered Terrain, Kelly Dittmar investigates how gender influences the campaign strategy and behavior of candidates today. Concurrently, she shows how candidates' strategic and tactical decisions can influence the gendered nature of campaign institutions.

  • Report
    December 1, 2014

    The Status of Black Women in American Politics 2014

    This comprehensive report provides a historical outline of black women’s struggle for political representation and discusses the current landscape of political leadership for black women across the country as well as their growing political influence. It demonstrates the need for greater engagement, recruitment, and inclusion of black women in politics and government.

  • Report
    July 15, 2014

    The Gender Gap: Gender Differences in Vote Choice and Political Orientations

    Women and men are political actors with distinct political preferences. These differences – or gender gaps – emerged in the 1980s and have been persistent since then in vote choice, party identification, and presidential performance ratings. In its latest edition of "A Closer Look," CAWP highlights what we know about gender gaps and asks key questions about potential gender differences in voting in 2014.

  • Book
    March 1, 2014

    The Political Consequences of Motherhood

    This book is part of the CAWP Series in Gender and American Politics published by the University of Michigan Press in association with CAWP. Greenlee investigates the complex relationship between motherhood and women's political attitudes.

  • Book
    February 1, 2014

    The Changing Face of Representation: The Gender of U.S. Senators and Constituent Communications

    This book is part of the CAWP Series in Gender and American Politics published by the University of Michigan Press in association with CAWP. Fridkin and Kenney examine in detail senators' official websites,  press releases and local news stories, as well as surveys of citizens to discern constituents' attitudes about their senators.    

  • Report
    January 22, 2014

    Women and the U.S. Senate 2014: Electoral Outlook and Historical Comparison

    What's the outlook for women running for the U.S. Senate in 2014 and how does it compare with past years? Find out in the Center for American Women and Politics' (CAWP) latest Closer Look research brief. In its latest edition of "A Closer Look," CAWP reports that with 34 gubernatorial races across the country, 29 women in 18 states have indicated that they are likely candidates. The brief highlights key races, sets the 2014 elections in the context of past records for women candidates, and outlines the importance of having more women senators.

  • Report
    January 1, 2014

    Money in Politics with a Gender Lens

    “Money in Politics with a Gender Lens” is the first attempt to explore the effects of the Citizens United decision by looking specifically at how women fared as candidates and acted as donors in elections held after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2010. 

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