Women in Politics
WS/POLS 335
Fall 2014
Dr. Aimee D. Shouse
510 Currens Hall
Ph. 298-2214
AD-Shouse@wiu.edu
Office Hours: 10:00-11:00
MTWThF
and by appointment
Texts:
Women and US Politics: The Spectrum of Political Leadership, 2nd ed. by Lori Cox Han
Elusive Equality: Women’s Rights, Public Policy, and the Law, by Susan Gluck Mezey
Other readings as scheduled- all found on Western Online
Introduction: As you embark on this course, you may ask yourself “why should there be a
course on a specific group in society and its relationship to the political process?” In
general, the study of most groups or segments of the population could be considered in
the broader context of other courses. Political science includes broad topics of inquiry
within one of several subfields: 1) American Government; 2) Comparative Government;
3) International Relations; 4) Political Theory; and 5) Public Administration/Policy.
Political scientists can follow any number of research ideas within these subfields, but
they must first have a firm grasp of the “bigger picture” of their subfield. I think the same
applies to undergraduate students taking courses in political science. Take American
Government for example; most research topics, including the observation of particular
groups of people, could fall under the umbrella of “interest group politics,” “election
studies,” or “congressional politics,” and do not need a course specifically devoted to
some narrow topic of interest.
With that said, why offer a course specifically on women and their relationship with the
political process? In short, it can be argued that the interaction of women in politics
illustrates something about the political process which cannot be fully gleaned from more
general courses on political institutions or behavior. Delving deeper into the subject of
women in politics provides a unique outlook on the American political system, including
our conceptualization of representation, our understanding of the issues which are placed
on (or are omitted from) the national agenda, the outcome of state and national elections,
and our unique political culture.1 In essence, we get a fuller understanding of American
government if we look specifically at women’s roles within the political environment.
Another reason for studying women in politics is that, unlike other groups of people,
women comprise the (albeit slight) majority of the American population, a majority
which was disenfranchised from conventional political participation for most of our
nation’s history. If there is, indeed, uniqueness to the political activity of women, the
very size of the group justifies its specific consideration.
1
There are numerous ways to structure a course on Women in Politics. One could take a
comparative approach, observing women in political systems around the world. However, we
will be looking almost exclusively at women in the context of American politics.
Structure of the Class: We will consider three broad topics over the course of this semester.
Within each of these three topics, we will consider a variety of questions.
1. Women and Political Participation: How do women conceptualize power?
How do women view themselves in relation to the political process?
How do they interact with the political system? Can generalizations be
made about women’s participation? How does the American political
system foster or inhibit gender conscious political activity?
2. Women In Government: Are women serving in government notably different
than men? What changes have we seen in the election, appointment, and
hiring of women in the American national and state governments? What
effect have these changes had? Are there particular hindrances to the
entrance of women into the governmental arena?
3. Women and Public Policy Issues: How has the government acted in regard to
policies of particular interest to women? How are women affected by
the policies of the government? Does the partisan make-up of
government affect what rights women are actually afforded? Are there,
in fact, “women’s policies?”
Each of these topics can generate a variety of views, which is obviously common in any
class that considers politics. I welcome class discussion, and there is a certain fuel in a
class like this for disagreement. Discussion and disagreement among students is
inevitable, valuable, and, quite frankly, fun (and do you really want to listen to me for a
full 150 minutes a week?). If, however, discussion degenerates into insults or attempts to
monopolize the class, I will intervene… and not in a happy way.
Your Grade: Your grade will be based on three essay exams (one for each broad topic above),
three short essays (2-3 pages each) based on questions regarding the readings, and 10
weekly paragraphs based on some aspect of the assigned readings for that week. The
third exam will be administered during final exam week and is not comprehensive- it
covers only the material considered since the second exam.
Grades will be calculated using the following assignment values.
Exam One:
Exam Two:
Final Exam:
3 Essays @ 50 points
10 weekly paragraphs @ 5 pts.
TOTAL:
A: 448-500
B+: 433-447 B: 413-432
C+: 383-397 C: 363-382
D+: 333-347 D: 313-332
F: 297 or lower:
100 points
100 points
100 points
150 points
50 points
500 points
B-: 398-412
C-: 348-362
D-: 298-312
Exams: Exams will be comprised entirely of essay questions. I will hand out a list of potential
exam questions a week prior to the exam. Exam questions will be drawn from this list. There
will be a variety of short and longer essay questions.
Essays: For each of the three sections of the class, I will provide you with a list of possible
questions on which you will write a 2-3 page essay based on the readings and class lectures. The
essays should reflect a thorough reading of the material and a good ability to integrate the
information from class into your essay. More specific directions will be provided with each list
of questions.
Weekly Paragraphs: For each week on the schedule of assignments marked by an asterisk (*),
you will submit a short paragraph on Tuesday of that week, based on the textbook reading that
was assigned for that week (not on the readings from the previous week). Paragraphs should be
1/3-1/2 of a page, typed, double spaced, and use a 12 point font, preferably Times New Roman.
For weeks that the reading is from the Han textbook (Women and Politics), your essay should
address one of the questions posed at the end of the chapter that is assigned that week. For
weeks the reading is from the Mezey text (Elusive Equality), you need to explain which policy
discussed in the chapter was, in your opinion, the most influential and why you think that.
If you look carefully, you will see that there are 11 asterisks on the schedule of assignments. As
such, you may turn them all in and I will take your 10 highest scores at the end of the semester, or
you may skip a week and take a zero for one week and it won’t affect your grade (as long as you
do the remaining 10!)
These paragraphs have only a 5 point value, and I know that it’s tempting to let small assignments
like this slide. However, please note that collectively, they comprise 10% of your grade (thus, a
full letter grade), and doing them should actually help you score higher on your exams, since
you’ve already given some thought to the material covered in the chapters. Thus, don’t forego
what’s a pretty easy assignment and have it sneak up on you at the end of the semester.
Paragraphs are due IN CLASS on Tuesdays for which there is an asterisk on the schedule of
assignments. If you must be absent and submit an OARS notification prior to class, you may have
until Thursday of that week to submit your essay. Without an OARS notification prior to class, I
will not accept late submissions.
OTHER INFORMATION
Attendance and Due Dates: While I will periodically call roll to have a record of your class
attendance and to get to know names, daily class attendance will not formally affect your grade.
Of course, not coming to class generally does affect your performance on exams, so it is highly
recommended that you do come to class.
If you have to miss an exam, you must inform me through an OARS notification prior to the
exam in order to make up the exam without penalty. If you do not inform me of your absence
prior to missing an exam, 10 points will be deducted from your grade. Further, an additional 10
points will be deducted for each day you do not address the missed exam with me. Similarly, if
you submit a 50-point essay after it is due, 5 points will be deducted from the grade. Five points
will then be deducted for each additional day that your paper is late.
Please note that the dates on the schedule of assignments for which essays are due are not “close
approximations” or “general guidelines” for when I want your essays. They are the dates I want
the assignment… and I want them submitted in class… on paper… that has been stapled together
if there are multiple pages. Unless you have arranged it with me and received prior approval
before a paper is due, as mentioned above, papers turned in after the due date will receive a
deduction of 5 points for each day they are late. If you know ahead of time that you will miss
class on a due date, you may submit your paper early.
Participation: We will typically have class discussions on a daily basis as issues and questions
naturally arise out of lecture or readings, and we will discuss the supplemental readings that are
posted on Western Online. While there is no specific participation requirement that will affect
your grade, I do expect participation from the class as a whole. Ask questions, challenge (in a
polite and collegial manner) assumptions or ideas, and bring in relevant current events into class
discussion. If you find interesting and relevant articles or websites, you are welcome to post
them on Western Online in the “Current Events Related to Class” category. If anyone posts
inappropriate content, I will remove students’ ability to post on Western Online. If you don’t
know whether something is inappropriate, run it by me first.
Plagiarism: The policy is simple: don’t cheat, don’t copy, cite your sources. I follow the
university’s academic integrity policy to the letter, meaning I do report all cases of academic
dishonesty to the university. Find the policy at http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php
A few specifics:
 if you’re caught cheating on an exam, you will receive a zero for that exam; no
headphones or electronic devices may be used during an exam.
 If you copy from sources (including the textbook) for your essays without appropriate
citation, your essay grade will be penalized, depending on the severity of the case (based
on my judgment).
 If you copy an essay from someone in the class, both the person doing the copying and
the person allowing the copying to take place will receive zeros on the paper assignment.
Thus, guard your own work carefully.
Concluding comments: with the legalities taken care of, let me say that I look forward to this
class. I anticipate a great deal of enthusiasm for the topic, and as such, have designed this course
to incorporate discussion of the readings on a daily basis. I have chosen texts and readings which
I believe are challenging but accessible and interesting. I want you to read critically so that we
can have fruitful class discussions. This CANNOT happen if you do not read the material. Thus,
for you to get the best possible experience from this class, it is imperative that each of you stay
current on the readings.
_________________________________
Class Assignments/Schedule – essays and exam due dates are noted in bold text
All non-textbook readings are online. Links are found on Western Online.
Week of August 25 – Introduction: Does Gender Matter?
Han: Chapter 1 – Women and Political Leadership
“Fact Sheet: The Women’s Leadership Gap: Women’s Leadership by the Numbers” by
Judith Warner | March 7, 2014, Center for American Progress
.
*Week of September 1: Getting Some Historical Context
Han: Chapter 2 – The Women’s Movement and Feminism in the United States
Bradwell v. Illinois (1873)
*Week of September 8: Political Participation: Is Voting Enough?
Han: Chapter 3 - Women as Political Participants
“The Misunderstood Gender Gap” by Kay S. Hymowitz, City Journal
“Easy on the Ears: GOP Ads Adapt to Reach Women” National Public Radio (Read or
listen to the story)
*Week of September 15: Running for Office
Han: Chapter 4 - Women as Political Candidates
Sheryl Sandberg “Why we have too few women leaders” – TED Talk (watch)
Week of September 22
Essay 1 Due: Tuesday September 23
Exam 1: Thursday, September 25
*Week of September 29
Han: Chapter 5 - Women as Legislators
Silver, Nate “Gender Pay Gap Tracks with Number of Women in State Legislatures”
Fivethirtyeight.com, April 9, 2014.
*Week of October 6
Han: Chapter 6 - Women and Executive Leadership
McDougall, Sophia “I Hate Strong Female Characters,” New Statesmen, August 15, 2013
*Week of October 13
Han: Chapter 7 - Women in the Judiciary
Katie Couric video “Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Hobby Lobby Dissent” Watch video and
read accompanying article by Liz Goodwin
Start film on Thursday: Miss Representation
Week of October 20
Han: Chapter 8: Women and Political Leadership in the Twenty-first Century
Essay 2 Due: Tuesday, October 21
Exam 2: Thursday, October 23
*Week of October 27
Mezey: Introduction and Chapter 1: “Seeking Constitutional Equality”
*Week of November 3
Mezey: Chapter 5: “Balancing Work and Family”
Patten, Eileen “On Equal Pay Day, key facts about the gender pay gap” Pew Research
Center, April 8, 2014
*Week of November 10
Mezey: Chapter 2: “Eliminating Gender Bias in Education”
Sommers, Christina Hoff “How to Make School Better for Boys” The Atlantic,
September 13, 2013
Huhman, Heather “STEM Fields and the Gender Gap: Where are the Women?” Forbes,
June 20, 2012
*Week of November 17
Mezey: Chapters 3 & 4: “Securing Workplace Equality” and “Battling Sexual
Harassment at Work”
Week of November 24
No Classes: Thanksgiving Break
*Week of December 1
Mezey: Chapter 6: “Attaining Abortion Rights”
“Fact Sheet: Induced Abortion in the United States” Guttmacher Institute, July 2014
Week of December 8
Mezey: Chapters 7 and 8: “Preserving Abortion Rights” and “Is Equality Still Elusive”
Essay 3 Due: Tuesday, December 9
Week of December 15
Finals Exam Thursday, December 18, 10:00 a.m.