Women and Politics

POLS 3390

Professor Richard E. Matland

Office (713)743-3911 MWF 11:00-12:00

Email Matland@uh.edu

10:00 - 11:00

Room: 218 AH

Course Description

This course on women and politics will study women and politics from a number of different angles. We will take up the issue as to whether there should even be a course called "Women and Politics", what is the unique role of a course on women and politics? Why do we see women as being worthy of study in the field of political science?

The position of women in politics has gradually improved over the last several decades. The number of women holding higher offices in the United States is still dismal in comparison to men. In the United States women presently hold three out of 50 governorships, nine out of one hundred Senate seats, and only 56 out of 435 House seats. There are two major questions that come out of these simple facts. Why are women so poorly underrepresented? And does it matter? We will spend a considerable amount of time on both of those questions, studying these questions both within the American context, but also in an international context. How does the United States compare on an international scale when we look at the position of women in politics? (The answer is quite poorly). Why should this be true? Are there lessons to be learned in other countries that can help us increase representation in the United States?

While there will be considerable focus on women's representation in elected office, this is not the only way women have impacted politics. This class will focus on the impact of women in three areas of politics, as voters, as grass roots organizers and as elected officials.

Course Requirements

Course assessment will be based on two exams (50%), two term papers, one of these will be a joint paper (40%) and class participation (10%).

Exams- the examinations will be a combination of identification, short essay and long essays essay. Each exam will count as 25% of your final grade, and the final exam will not be comprehensive.

Two Term Papers–

TERM PAPER #1: U.S. Based Paper: These papers will be group papers, i.e. you are to work as a group and will be expected to make a group presentation on your candidate. You are to choose a female candidate running for public office in the United States. This paper is to present the candidate, describe how the candidate came to the office she is now running for or now holding, and most importantly is to consider, based on your reading of the candidates own literature, statements, commercials, and press coverage, whether being female has any affect at all on the candidate's campaign. What effects does being female have on what the candidate chooses to emphasize, what issues the candidate concentrates on, how the candidate presents herself. You will present a 10-15 minute report on your candidate to the class shortly before the elections (and you will give us a prediction as to how your candidate is likely to do. The papers may be revised after the class presentation.

There are several women running for elected positions this fall, there will be at least 15 women running either for a Senatorial seat or a Gubernatorial seat. In addition, there will be approximately 75 women running for House seats, so there are plenty of women to choose from who will be running this fall. An extremely valuable starting point for any project that will be looking at elections this fall is the website to The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University: Their address is www.rci.rutgers.edu/~cawp/ You can also choose a candidate who has run in the past if you would like, historical or a recent historical figure.

TERM PAPER #2: Internationally Based Paper: These are to be individual papers. You are to choose any country other than the United States and tell me about the political status of women in the country. How well represented in the parliament are women? How well represented are they in the cabinet? How well represented are they at the local level and within the party power structure? What plausible explanations are there for the level of women's representation we find in these countries?

Books required for purchase

R.Darcy, Susan Welch and Janet Clark (1994) Women, Elections and Representation 2nd. Ed.

Lincoln,NEB: University of Nebraska Press.

Sue Thomas and Clyde Wilcox (1998) Women and Elective Office: Past, Present and Future Oxford University Press.

M. Margaret Conway, David W. Ahern, Gertrude A. Steuernagel (1999) Women & Public Policy:A Revolution in Progress CQ Press.

Sue Tolleson-Rinehart & Jyl Josephson (2000) Gender and American Politics: Women, Men and the Political Process M.E. Sharpe.

Course Schedule

I. INTRODUCTION

Aug 21st -25th Introduction to course, the Women's Movement

Aug. 28th -30th – The Unique Role of Women in Politics

Darcy, Welch, and Clark, Chapter 1.

Josephson & Tolleson-Rinehart, Introduction.

II. WOMEN AS VOTERS

Sept. 6th &8th – The Gender Gap and Changes in Public Opinion

Josephson & Tolleson-Rinehart, Chapter 1 & 3.

III. WOMEN AS CANDIDATES:

Sept 11th- 15th – CANDIDATE Recruitment & Structural Barriers

Thomas & Wilcox, Chapters 1, 7.

Darcy, Welch, & Clark, Chapters 2,3, and 5-7.

Sept. 18th -20th – The Suffragette Movement: First Wave Feminism:

Not For Ourselves Alone (Ken Burns Film)

Sept. 22nd & 25th - Study Days

Sept 27th –29th Running for Congress & Voter Reactions to Female Candidates

Darcy, Welch, & Clark, Chapter 4

Tolleson-Rinehart & Josephson, Chapter 10.

Thomas & Wilcox, Chapters 2& 4.

October 2nd : Female Candidates and The Media

Thomas & Wilcox, Chapter 3.

OCTOBER 4: FIRST EXAM.

IV. WOMEN AS LEGISLATORS:

October 6th: Does Their Difference, Make A DIFFERENCE?

October 9th: Women as Legislators: State & Local, Congress

Thomas & Wilcox: Chapters 8, 9.

October 11th: Women in Leadership Positions/ Executive Positions

Thomas & Wilcox: Chapters 11, 12, and 13.

Josephson & Tolleson-Rinehart, Chapter 8.

V. WOMEN & PUBLIC POLICY

October 13th -Women and Public Policy

Conway – Chapter 1

Oct. 16th -20th – Women and Education, Healthcare, and Abortion

Conway – Chapter 2 & 3

Josephson & Tolleson-Rinehart, Chapter 2 & 5 & 7.

Oct. 23rd - 25th – Women and Equal Employment Opportunity & Economic Equity

Conway – Chapter 4

Josephson & Tolleson-Rinehart, Chapter 4 & 6.

Oct. 27th & 30th – Women & Family & The Criminal Justice System

Conway – Chapter 6 & 7

Whitaker – Chapter 8: pages 306-334

November 1st & November 3rd – Class Presentation of First Paper (on Female Candidates)

V. WOMEN AND POLITICS IN THE REST OF THE WORLD

November 6th- 8th : Women's Access to Political Power throughout the World (Western Europe): Theoretical Issues

November 13th -15th : Women in Western European Politics: Country Studies

November 17th: Women's Access to Political Power throughout the World (Eastern Europe): Theoretical Issues // (Developing World Also)

November 20th-29th: Women in Eastern European Politics: Country Studies

DECEMBER 1st: F INAL EXAM

DECEMBER 4th: Final Paper Due