WOMEN AND POLITICS PROFESSOR LYNN LEVERTY
PUP 3323 319 Anderson Hall
WST 3930 232 Pugh Hall
Fall 2015
Office hours:
Tuesday 12:30 – 2:30 pm
319 Anderson Hall
Friday 10 – Noon
232 Pugh Hall
SYLLABUS
Gender matters in politics. In chapter 1 of your text, author Michele Swers states that “…both Republican and Democratic women utilize the power of their position to influence the public debate over the representation of women’s interests and to shape policies that addresses the needs of women and their families. The emergence of women as a significant force in the Senate is a recent phenomenon. Indeed, the United States Senate is among the most powerful legislative institutions in western democracies. At the same time it is in many ways the least representative. In both its demographic makeup and its institutional rules the Senate defies ideals of equal representation. (Swers, page 2).
Past studies of women and politics in the United States have focused on women’s political involvement from earning the vote to voting patterns and preferences and the formation of interest groups and running for office. Because of the relatively small number of women at any level of government, it has been difficult to study how women govern. As a result of past political research, we know that female politicians are more active advocates for policies related to women, children and families in comparison to their male colleagues. However, gender is obviously not the sole determinant of the policy priorities of women in public office.
This semester we will review current research on women’s voting patterns, participation in interest groups and issues in running for public office. We will also focus on current research on how female politicians utilize their gender “strategically to advance their policy and political goals” (Swers page 1) in the United States Senate. This course will focus primarily on the United States, but women’s experiences in other nations will also be considered.
By the end of this class, students will be able to:
1. Identify trends in women’s political behavior;
2. Understand the diversity of women’s viewpoints on public policy issues: and
3. Evaluate what women have brought to the political sphere.
There is a normative bias in the course. It rests on an assumption that diversity in public office creates a more representative and effective government. Diversity includes not only gender, but race and ethnicity, stance in the political spectrum, age, sexual orientation and personal background.
Philosophy:
Learning is an active and interactive process. For this reason, the amount of time devoted to lectures will be as minimal as possible. UF undergraduates are among the best in the nation. You are all capable of doing this work very well. With that in mind, the class will focus heavily on in‐depth discussion and analysis of the readings. Good preparation is a necessity for doing well in this course. We will talk in considerable detail about this in class, but do feel free to come by my office early and often to discuss any class assignments, readings or other issues.
Requirements:
1. Two papers (50%)
2. Midterm (20%)
3. Final analyses (20%)
4. Participation (10%)
Extra credit opportunities will be available, but they will only be announced in class. I reserve the right to add biweekly quizzes if class participation is not robust.
Information on this course is on the university’s e-learning course management system (Canvas). The syllabus is located there as well as lecture notes and other information. Please check this regularly. I will also send some announcements out through the listserv e-mail. Note: I do not put grades on e-learning. For this reason, you will need keep a record of your grades or retain your returned papers.
I expect assignments to be turned in on the due date. One letter grade per day (not class days) will be taken off for late papers unless you have obtained prior approval for a different date due to special circumstances or have a documented illness or family emergency. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have some type of special circumstance, but you must do so before the due date unless it is an emergency.
If 90% of life is just showing up, class participation is important. This grade depends not only on physical presence (this will be checked at the beginning of most classes), but also your active participation in class and your "class manners." This means being on time, refraining from side discussions and other distracting behavior and respecting each other’s viewpoints. We will be discussing controversial issues about which many people have strong opinions and beliefs so mutual respect is critical. Phones should not be out unless needed for class research.
The easiest way to reach me is to come by during office hours or through e-mail. If my office hours are not convenient, I am always happy to set a time to meet, so please do not hesitate to ask me for a scheduled appointment. If you have any special needs, please let me know so that we can work together to make this class a success.
Required reading:
Swers, Michele L. (2013). Womenin the Club: Gender and Policy Making in the Senate. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Center for the American Woman and Politics
Fact Sheets and Articles
Other materials as assigned.
Course Schedule: (subject to change during the semester)
Part 1: Introduction to women and politics
August 25: First class
August 27: Declaration of Sentiments
September 1: Suffrage issues
Time line
True Womanhood
September 3: The “winning plan” and aftermath
Carrie Chapman Catt
Other readings to be determined
Part 2: Women as part of the political system
September 8: Voting
CAWP – Gender Differences in Voting Turnout
CAWP -- Voting Differences of Young Women and Men
CAWP – Voting Choices in Presidential Elections
CAWP – Party Identification and Presidential Performance Rating
CAWP – Attitudes on Public Policy
September 10: Gender Gap in the South
Ondercin, Heather, (2013). “What Scarlett O’Hara Thinks: Political Attitudes of Southern Women.”Political Science Quarterly, vol. 128: 233 – 256.
September 15: Formation of interest groups
League of Women Voters
(need to scroll through the decades)
September 17: More diversity and new interest groups
National Organization for Women
Concerned Women for America
Project Vote Smart - Women’s Interest Groups
September 22: Issues in running for office
Fox, Richard L, and Lawless, Jennifer, L. (2011). “Gendered Perceptions and Political Candidacies: A Central Barrier to Women’s Equality in Electoral Politics.” American Journal of Political Science, vol. 55: 59 – 73.
September 24: Issues in running for office
Dolan, Kathleen, (2014). “Gender Stereotypes, Candidate Evaluations and Voting for Women: What Actually Matters?” Political Research Quarterly, vol. 67: 96 – 107
Meeks, Lindsey, (2012). “Is She Man enough? Women Candidates, Executive Political Offices and News Coverage.” Journal of Communication, vol. 62, Issue 1: 175 – 193.
September 29: Impact of geography
CAWP – Current Numbers
CAWP – Women in Elective Office in 2015
CAWP – Women of Color in Elective Office 2015
October 1: Impact of geography
CAWP – review fact sheets on Congress, Statewide and State Legislatures
Lien, Pei-te, (2015). “Reassessing DescriptiveRepresentation byWomen and Men ofColor: New Evidence atthe Subnational Level.”Urban Affairs Review, Vol. 51(2): 239 – 262
October 6: Midterm exam
October 8: Why study the Senate
Swers, chapter 1
October 13: Women’s leadership in the Senate
United States Senate
October 15: Limitations of the Senate and current research
Hawkesworth, Mary, (2003). “Congressional Enactments of Race-Gender: Toward A Theory of Race-Gendered Institutions.”American Political Science Review, vol. 97, no. 4: 529 – 550.
October 20 – 27: Legislation affecting women, children and families
Swers, chapter 2
October 29 – November 5: Lily Ledbetter and partial birth legislation
Swers, chapter 3
November 10 – 12: Replacing Justice O’Connor
Swers, chapter 4
November 1 – 19: Can women be experts on defense?
Swers, chapter 5
November 24: Day Off! Happy Thanksgiving!
December 1 – 3: So what did we learn?
December 8: Last class
WOMEN AND POLITICS
PUP 3323
WST 3930
Course assignments:
Midterm: in class on October 6, essay exam on the material covered from August 27 through October 1. No need for blue books; I will supply the paper. Your focus should be on trends and key issues. There will be three questions and you must answer two of them.
Papers: Due October 27 and November 19
#1: Political biography: write a political biography of a female senator. Your senator must be currently in office or have retired or not been reelected within the last two years (the 2013 election). This biography should include:
- basic personal information such as her birth date, education family and profession
- basic political information including her home state, political party, date first elected and reelection dates
- positions held in the Senate (committee assignments, leadership positions)
- an analysis of her key issues; pick 3 -4 issues on which she has focused either publicly, in committee or on the floor and look at how these relate to the issues emphasized in her campaign and the priorities of her state
- ananalysis of how effective she has been.
Note: women in the Senate have varying longevity. Senator Mikulski has been a member since 1987 while Senators Capito and Ernst were elected in 2014 and began their terms in 2015. I would suggest choosing a senator who has been in office long enough to have a recorded track record.
#2: Public policy issue analysis: choose a public policy issue (not one in the text book) considered by the Senate in the last four years on which there have been recorded votes both in committee and on the floor (the legislation does not have to have passed the House). How did the women in the Senate vote on this legislation in committee and on the floor? Did any of them take a leadership position (i.e. public statements or speeches, comments in committee, floor speeches, etc.)? Did their gender play a role in their policy decisions?
Note: party control of the Senate will make a difference in this analysis. Since party control has changed over the last 25 years, this website will help you determine which party was in power when the policy issue you choose was considered (
These papers may be written in traditional paper format. You may also write them in sections with some parts in charts (i.e. basic personal and political information and the positions held in the Senate).
Suggested sources: every senator has an official web page that includes her priorities and voting record ( Each committee also has a website, but these vary significantly in the amount of information presented. The Library of Congress has a website that includes the Congressional Record and information on legislation ( You may search by member to find a member’s statement or when a senator is mentioned.
Both of these assignments must include primary sources such as speeches given by the senator(s), press releases, and discussions during Senate hearings, etc.
Both of these papers should be 8 – 10 pages in length, double-spaced and usual font with appropriate academic citations. You may use the style format (APA preferred) that you are most comfortable with, but please be consistent in your usage. If you are unsure about which sources to cite, you may contact the University Writing Center or check their website ( In general, in addition to direct quotes, information that is not generally known should be cited.
Option for paper 2: For paper 2 you may also create a research poster. Here are two sources on how to create a research poster: and
Final Analysis: Due December 3
Which of the readings (do not include CAWP fact sheets) in this class will you remember the most? What about this readingespecially interested, surprised or informed you about women in politics? How did the reading relate to the body of information in this class? Please be specific.
For example, if you were surprised at how few women have served in the Senate what does this relatively small number mean in terms of representing women, leadership and policy enactment?
This analysis should be 4 -5 pages in length, double-spaced and usual font with appropriate academic citations.