Indeed, data from the Citizen Political Ambition Studies-three national surveys of women and men who work in the professions from which most candidates for elective office emerge-reveal a striking gender gap in political ambition (Lawless and Fox Reference Lawless and Fox2012 Reference Lawless and Fox2010 Reference Lawless and Fox2005). This paradox has led scholars to identify the candidate emergence process as one the biggest obstacles to women's numeric representation (e.g.,Carroll Reference Carroll1994 Sanbonmatsu 2002).
#Lyn barron christopher atkins age difference professional
Thus, despite women's gains in the educational and professional spheres that precede a career in politics, as well as evidence that points to broad public acceptance of female candidates, women remain significantly under-represented at all levels of elective office in the United States (for a review, see Lawless and Fox Reference Lawless and Fox2010 Palmer and Simon Reference Palmer and Simon2008). This places the United States 95 th worldwide in the percentage of women serving in the national legislature (Inter-Parliamentary Union 2013). Yet when the 113 th Congress convened in January 2013, 82% of its members were men. They have analyzed institutional barriers, such as the incumbency advantage and women's presence in the professions that lead to political careers, to uncover structural obstacles women face. They have combed fundraising receipts and vote totals to determine how women fare in the electoral arena. They have surveyed and interviewed candidates and elected officials to assess levels of discrimination against women. UNCOVERING THE ORIGINS OF THE GENDER GAP IN POLITICAL AMBITIONįor decades, one question has guided much of the research on gender and elections in the United States: Why do so few women occupy elective office? In an attempt to answer this question, gender politics scholars have employed a multifaceted and eclectic approach. Taken together, our results suggest that concerns about substantive and symbolic representation will likely persist. By identifying when and why gender differences in interest in running for office materialize, we begin to uncover the origins of the gender gap in political ambition.
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But on each of these dimensions, women, particularly once they are in college, are at a disadvantage.
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Our analysis reveals that parental encouragement, politicized educational and peer experiences, participation in competitive activities, and a sense of self-confidence propel young people's interest in running for office. We then use political socialization-which we gauge through a myriad of socializing agents and early life experiences-as a lens through which to explain the individual-level differences we uncover. This finding serves as striking evidence that the gap is present well before women and men enter the professions from which most candidates emerge. Based on survey responses from a national random sample of nearly 4,000 high school and college students, we uncover a dramatic gender gap in political ambition.