Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Electoral Politics: Still a Man's World?
- 2 Explaining Women's Emergence in the Political Arena
- 3 The Gender Gap in Political Ambition
- 4 Barefoot, Pregnant, and Holding a Law Degree: Family Dynamics and Running for Office
- 5 Gender, Party, and Political Recruitment
- 6 “I'm Just Not Qualified”: Gendered Self-Perceptions of Candidate Viability
- 7 Taking the Plunge: Deciding to Run for Office
- 8 Gender and the Future of Electoral Politics
- Appendix A The Citizen Political Ambition Study Sample Design and Data Collection
- Appendix B The Survey
- Appendix C The Interview Questionnaire
- Appendix D Variable Coding
- Works Cited
- Index
3 - The Gender Gap in Political Ambition
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 September 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Electoral Politics: Still a Man's World?
- 2 Explaining Women's Emergence in the Political Arena
- 3 The Gender Gap in Political Ambition
- 4 Barefoot, Pregnant, and Holding a Law Degree: Family Dynamics and Running for Office
- 5 Gender, Party, and Political Recruitment
- 6 “I'm Just Not Qualified”: Gendered Self-Perceptions of Candidate Viability
- 7 Taking the Plunge: Deciding to Run for Office
- 8 Gender and the Future of Electoral Politics
- Appendix A The Citizen Political Ambition Study Sample Design and Data Collection
- Appendix B The Survey
- Appendix C The Interview Questionnaire
- Appendix D Variable Coding
- Works Cited
- Index
Summary
If I'm angry about something that the government has done, I write letters and I sign petitions. I'm very interested in politics. I read the paper and I listen to National Public Radio. It would just never occur to me to be part of the fray. Running for office is something I'd just never think to do.
– Melissa Stevens-Jones, 51, attorney, New MexicoI follow many political issues – health care, the environment, school choice, tax reform. I read the newspaper, listen to talk radio, and watch cable news. The more and more I see, the more and more I know that I have to get in there. I can't imagine not running for office in the future.
– Larry Ginsberg, 53, attorney, FloridaPolitics is a thankless job. It takes your soul. Entering it has never even crossed my mind. If I ever wanted to do something new professionally, politics wouldn't be it. Politics would be at the bottom of the list.
– Lila Meyers, 47, business owner, MassachusettsSure, I've considered running. I'm not interested in it right now, but who knows? Maybe in 10 years I'll want a career change. Maybe I'll want to be a mayor … or an astronaut.
– Charles Bartelson, 44, business owner, MissouriMore than two centuries ago, the Founders sought to create a national legislature that allowed competent, successful citizens to serve their nation for a few years; the notion of career politicians was not something they envisioned.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- It Takes a CandidateWhy Women Don't Run for Office, pp. 37 - 50Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005