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100 Years of Suffrage and Girls Still Struggle to Find their “Fit” in Politics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2020

Angela L. Bos Open the ORCID record for Angela L. Bos [Opens in a new window] ,
Mirya R. Holman ,
Jill S. Greenlee ,
Zoe M. Oxley  and
J. Celeste Lay
Angela L. Bos
Affiliation:
College of Wooster
Mirya R. Holman
Affiliation:
Tulane University
Jill S. Greenlee
Affiliation:
Brandeis University
Zoe M. Oxley
Affiliation:
Union College
J. Celeste Lay
Affiliation:
Tulane University
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Extract

When women gained the national right to vote 100 years ago, remarkable possibilities for their voice and presence in politics opened. However, despite gains in women’s representation, numerous gaps continue to exist in which adult women engage less in politics than men. In identifying and explaining adult gender gaps, little attention has been given to whether gaps emerge among children. This is a pressing issue because children’s perceptions are likely to influence their participation as adults. This article explores whether and how girls and boys differently view politics and their role in it. We report survey data from more than 1,600 children ages 6 to 12 to explore basic gender gaps in political interest and ambition. We argue that these results may reveal the roots of a larger problem: 100 years after women gained suffrage, girls still express less interest and enthusiasm than boys for political life and political office.

Type
Symposium: Women's Political Involvement in the 100 Years since the Nineteenth Amendment
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 53 , Issue 3 , July 2020 , pp. 474 - 478
Copyright
© American Political Science Association, 2020

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