Women and Politics

Catalog description

In the United States, women hold 18% of the seats in the 112th Congress, marking the nation 85th in its level of representation for women. Globally, women constitute 15% of all members of parliament, although significant regional variation persists. How do gendered hierarchies continue to shape and structure political systems? Why have women not yet reached parity in elected office? Should women be represented as women? What difference do women bring to elective office? These and other questions are explored throughout the course, with particular attention to the historical exclusion of women from the public arena, the methods used by women to enter electoral and activist politics, and the current political status of women in the United States and globally. Cross-listed as POLS/ GST 374 .