Women in Amer Politics

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Women in American Politics examines the role of women in the political process from the Suffrage movement to the first wave of feminism in the 1800s to second wave in the 1960s to the “Year of the Woman 1992 - 2018” and the historic election of Vice President Kamala Harris in 2020. We will preview the next presidential campaign in 2024. Students will study the relationship between gender and electoral politics in the United States and review the historic barriers that have prevented more women from entering the political arena. The course will include guest lecturers representing leaders of the modern women’s movement, as well as political operatives and strategists from both major political parties. Special emphasis will be placed on students providing a weekly political report on American women in politics as well as women in national and international news. Prior to the passage of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, American women were excluded from participation as voters and as candidates for political office. The passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution elevated women’s participation in electoral politics. Accordingly, students will study the role of gender in U.S. electoral politics in the United States, interview women who have been elected or appointed to public office, identify current barriers to the full participation of women in the political system and analyze the power of the women’s vote. In addition, we will look back at the 2020 elections, including the campaigns of Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D- HI) and Marianne Williamson.