This chapter analyzes the 2008 Democratic presidential primary to consider the ways in which a male spouse challenges a female candidate’s image as a capable and independent executive.  Dittmar examines the media’s framing of both male and female spouses on the campaign trail and analyzes the extent to which coverage reflects a transgendering, or equal gender valuing, of candidate spouses’ roles. She finds a combination of spousal role evolution and constraint in media frames, simultaneously empowering presidential spouses while attributing greater gender power to the masculine partner – whether candidate or spouse. 

This chapter discusses the barriers and opportunities women face in seeking state legislative and statewide executive office and the differences across states in women's officeholding. It asserts that party is a key factor in understanding women's candidacies and women's representation. 

This chapter reviews and analyzes women's candidacies and officeholding across the 50 states, with particular attention to women's in state elections in 2004. Sanbonmatsu asserts that the pattern of women's representation in the states is a map to the future of women's opportunities for the highest echelons of American politics, noting that some states provide more favorable environments for women candidates than others. 

This chapter relies on 2006 ANES Pilot Study to expand our understanding of voter attitudes about gender issues in important ways. The authors determine whether candidate gender is still an important cue in the face of the central influence of political party. In addition, the authors measure whether people have a preference for women or men in elected office.

The movement of women into state-level offices has slowed in recent years after several decades of gains, and following the 2012 elections, the numbers of women in both state legislative and executive branch offices increased only slightly. Efforts to actively recruit women for elected and appointed positions will be critical in determining what the future holds for women in state government.

In recent years, the movement of women into state-level offices has slowed following several decades of gains. Following the 2010 elections, the number of women in both state legislative and statewide elective office declined. Efforts to actively recruit women for elective and appointive positions will be critical in determining what the future holds for women in state government.

This chapter examines the influence of committee assignments on women legislators' ability to achieve their policy goals. It analyzes whether or not there is discrimination in the committee assignment process that can create obstacles for women legislators to make policy influence.

This edited volume contains chapters by leading experts in the field of American elections and political behavior. Sanbonmatsu's chapter reviews research on gender differences in mass behavior and candidacy. She argues that future scholarship should focus on understanding the conditions under which gender structures political behavior and elections. In addition to calling for research on when gender as a social category is cued in politics, she argues that elections can create gender as a category: political behavior and elections themselves can shape beliefs about gender, instructing society about what men and women are like. 

This chapter examines the phenomenon of the “security mom” and the role she played in the 2004 election. Through content analysis of print media coverage and analysis of exit poll data, Carroll shows that the empirical data collected from voters offer little support for the characterization of security moms as portrayed in media accounts. She argues that the attention paid to “security moms” in the presidential race very much worked to the benefit of the Bush campaign, fitting into the campaign’s overall strategy and detracting interest away from women voters whose concerns could be represented by existing interest groups, thus weakening any

Women and Leadership brings together in one comprehensive volume preeminent scholars from a range of disciplines to address the challenges involving women and leadership. The experts explore when and how women exercise power and what stands in their way, including current thinking on the perils of stereotypes, the importance of leadership style, gender differences in the decision to seek leadership roles, lessons from women leaders, “opt out” patterns and the need for flexible career paths, global inequalities and initiatives, and strategies that get women to the top. Order the book.