Chapter 9: Women as Leaders in Congress

Courtenay W. Daum

Women as leaders in congress In recent decades political scientists have dedicated a great deal of attention to the study of female politicians with specific attention focused on female legislators. This research includes analyses of the obstacles women confront when running for legislative office, including incumbency advantage, fund-raising challenges, and exclusion and absence from the pool of eligible candidates (e.g., Darcy, Welch, & Clark, 1994; Palmer & Simon, 2008; Sanbonmatsu, 2006). In addition, extant research has examined how women behave once in elected office (e.g., Bingham, 1997; Dodson, 2006; Swers, 2002; Thomas, 1994). The research on female legislators is divided between analyses of female politicians at the state and local levels and studies of women at the national level. In-depth studies of female legislators often have focused on the state and local levels. The smaller size of these legislative bodies in comparison to Congress, easier access to local and state ...

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