American History on the Web: Women in United States Politics

Read all the links under "Gender Gap and Voting Behavior" at http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/Facts5.html. Then, check out the websites for the Feminist Majority Foundation at http://www.feminist.org/ and for EMILY's list at http://www.emilyslist.org/index.phtml. Finally, click on your state to find the women who represent you in all three branches of the federal and state government at http://www.gendergap.com/states.htm.


1		Explain the "gender gap" in voting patterns. Include the key issues on which men and women typically disagree.



2		Examine your own views on these political issues. Are they typical of your gender, or are you an exception?



3		How does the gender gap today compare to the gender gap when Geraldine Ferraro ran for Vice President? Why is this difference in political behavior significant to our study of women's history?



4		What is the Feminist Majority Foundation, and what is EMILY's list? How do they contribute to increasing women's involvement in politics in America? How do they fuel the gender gap?



5		Who are the key female political leaders for your state? Do their political views reinforce or deconstruct this gender gap?

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