CAWP Study of Women in the 114th Congress Interviews

The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) conducted original interviews with 83 of the 108 women who served as senators, representatives, and delegates in the 114th Congress (2015-2016) for the CAWP Study of Women in the 114th Congress. Interviews were conducted between September 2015 and April 2017 and ranged between 12 and 77 minutes in length, with the average interview lasting 29 minutes. Questions focused on representational goals, policy priorities and achievements, party polarization, and perceptions of gender and race dynamics within the 114th Congress. 

Transcripts are available to scholars upon request and completion of a data use agreement. To request more information and/or access to these transcripts, please email CAWP Director of Research Kelly Dittmar at kdittmar@rutgers.edu.

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A Seat at the Table: Congresswomen's Perspectives on Why Their Presence Matters

Kelly Dittmar, Kira Sanbonmatsu, and Susan J. Carroll

Drawing on personal interviews with over three-quarters of the women serving in the 114th Congress (2015-17), the authors analyze how these women navigate today's stark partisan divisions, and whether they feel effective in their jobs. Through first-person perspectives, A Seat at the Table looks at what motivates these women's legislative priorities and behavior, details the ways in which women experience service within a male-dominated institution, and highlights why it matters that women sit in the nation's federal legislative chambers. It describes the strategies women employ to overcome any challenges they confront as well as the opportunities available to them.

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Representation Matters: Women in the U.S. Congress

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This CAWP report takes stock of the experiences, perspectives, approaches, and influence of women in the U.S. Congress. Drawing upon the CAWP Study of Women in the 114th Congress, entailing original interviews with 83 of the 108 women who served as senators, representatives, and delegates in the 114th Congress (2015-2016), it shows that women members on both sides of the aisle very much believe that their presence and their voices matter. The interviews provide considerable evidence of women's achievements despite the overall environment of gridlock and party polarization in which the women in Congress operate.

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