Political Science 297W - ST-Intro:Women&Politics in USA

This course examines women's political incorporation in the United States primarily, but not exclusively, with respect to electoral politics. We explore women's pre-suffrage political activities before delving into the campaign for women's suffrage. We study the effects of achieving suffrage on women's political behavior during the period immediately following their achievement of the right to vote and beyond. The relationship between women and party politics will be probed before discussing the challenges women still face as candidates in state and federal legislatures in the U.S. The extent to which women's participation in campaigns and elections makes a substantive difference in policy making is considered. Subsequent discussions examine the role women's organizations currently play in expanding women's political representation in the U.S.