Women of Color in Politics Research
The Money Race for the State Legislature
by Kira Sanbonmatsu and Claire Gothreau
This report is the third in the CAWP Women, Money, and Politics series. Analyzing 2020 campaign contributions data, the report examines state legislative contests with a focus on general elections. It identifies a large gender gap in giving to state legislative elections and examines giving patterns by political party. The report also identifies challenges and opportunities facing women candidates, comparing candidates by party and race/ethnicity. This report is made possible through a collaboration with OpenSecrets.
Reaching Higher: Black Women in American Politics 2021
by Kelly Dittmar, Ph.D.
This report from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) and the Higher Heights Leadership Fund outlines the status of Black women in American politics as of September 2021.
Tracking Gender in the 2020 Presidential Election
by Kelly Dittmar
The introductory essay and digital timeline presented in Tracking Gender in the 2020 Presidential Election apply a gender and intersectional lens to key events during the 2020 presidential campaign. This resource provides clear examples of how presidential politics remain influenced by gender and race, specifically in: how candidates navigate campaigns; how candidates are perceived, evaluated, and treated by voters, media, and opponents; and how voters make electoral decisions.
Measuring Success: Women in 2020 Legislative Elections
by Kelly Dittmar
Measuring women’s electoral success means placing 2020 outcomes into historical and contemporary context. That is the work done in this report, where CAWP breaks down 2020 congressional and state legislative data by gender, race, and party; puts this data into historical context, with specific comparisons to the 2018 election; analyzes women candidates’ paths to office and strategies for success; and looks ahead to what 2020 election outcomes mean for the future of women in American politics.
By the Numbers: Black Women in the 117th Congress
by Kelly Dittmar, Ph.D.
This update from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) and the Higher Heights Leadership Fund outlines the number of Black women in the U.S. Congress at the start of 2021.
Black Women in American Politics 2019
by Kelly Dittmar, Ph.D.
This update from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) and the Higher Heights Leadership Fund outlines the status of Black women in American politics in the fall of 2019.
The Chisholm Effect: Black Women in American Politics 2018
By Kelly Dittmar, Ph.D.
This update from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) and the Higher Heights Leadership Fund outlines the status of Black women in American politics at the start of 2018.
Gender and Elections: Shaping the Future of American Politics, 4th Edition
Eds. Susan J. Carroll, CAWP, Rutgers University and Richard L. Fox, Loyola Marymount University
Cambridge University Press, 2018 Fourth Edition, 319 pages
The fourth edition of Gender and Elections highlights the most important developments for women as voters and candidates in the 2012 elections and providing a more long-term, in-depth analysis of the ways that gender has helped shape the contours and outcomes of electoral politics in the United States. Individual chapters demonstrate the importance of gender in understanding and interpreting presidential elections, voter participation and turnout, voting choices, congressional elections, the participation of African American women, the support of political parties and women's organizations, candidate communications with voters, and state elections. Earlier editions (First Edition 2006, Second Edition 2010, 3rd edition 2013) provide similar analysis for the 2004, 2008 and 2012 elections.
Black Women in American Politics: 2017 Status Update
By Kelly Dittmar, Ph.D.
This update highlights the key wins for women of color overall – and Black women in particular - in election 2016. The data demonstrate that, even with the gains Black women saw at some levels of office in 2016, there is more work to do to ensure that Black women’s representation in elected office reflects their presence in American society.
Representation Matters: Women in the U.S. Congress
by Kelly Dittmar, Kira Sanbonmatsu, Susan J. Carroll, Debbie Walsh, and Catherine Wineinger
Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 2017, 56 pages.
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.