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  Ambassador Consul General About the Consulate Latest Consulate News Programs and Events Human Resources Publications Elizabeth Kauffman

American Center Bulletin

March 2005

American Women in Politics

American Women in Politics
Some Notable American Women
Notes From the AIRC
A Word From the Center

American Women in Politics

Throughout most of history, women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. Wifehood and motherhood were regarded as women’s most significant professions. In the 20th century, however, women in most nations won the right to vote and increased their educational and job opportunities. Perhaps most important, they fought for, and to a large degree accomplished, a reevaluation of traditional views of their role in society.

Women in American Politics

Throughout history, women have held power as queens, wives, and prime ministers in nations and empires. No woman, however, has ever been elected Chief Executive of the United States. Excluded from voting in national elections and most state and local elections until 1920, American women have always been dramatically underrepresented in the United States government.

Jeanette Rankin from Montana, who in 1916 became the first woman elected to Congress, won her seat by promising to expand voting rights to women and ban liquor. Rankin also voted against going to war in World War I – an unpopular stance which caused her to lose her first reelection bid. In 1940, she won election to the House again, this time making pacifism her main campaign issue, and cast the only vote against entering World War II, saying “As a woman I can’t go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else.” Rankin established a tradition of independent thinking among the slowly expanding number of women legislators.

The emergence of a post-war women’s movement helped Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, Bella Abzug, Millicent Fenwick, and Patricia Schroeder win election to the House of Representatives and gain national attention for their work over the last 30 years. Meanwhile, Margaret Chase Smith, Helen Gahagan Douglas, Nancy Landon Kassenbaum, and Carol Mosley Braun all broke barriers to win election as U.S. Senators and sponsored important federal legislation while in office.

When Sandra Day O’Connor became the first women appointed to the Supreme Court in 1981, she attained heights once thought to be unreachable. President Clinton’s appointment of Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Court also showed that brilliant women jurists could more than hold their own alongside their male counterparts.

Hattie Caraway

The first woman elected to the United States Senate, Hattie Caraway was born Hattie Wyatt in Tennessee. She graduated from Dickson Normal in 1896. She married fellow student Thaddeus Horatius Caraway and moved with him to Arkansas.

Her husband practiced law while she cared for their children and their farm. Her husband was elected to Congress in 1912 and women won the vote in 1920; while Hattie Caraway took it as her duty to vote, her focus remained on homemaking. Her husband was reelected to his Senate seat in 1926 and 1932, but then died unexpectedly.

Arkansas Governor Harvey Parnell then appointed Hattie Caraway to her husband’s Senate seat. She was sworn in on December 9, 1931 and was confirmed in a special election on January 12, 1932. She thus became the first woman elected to the United States Senate – Rebecca Latimer Felton had previously served a “courtesy” appointment of one day.

Hattie Caraway maintained a “housewife” image and made no speeches on the floor of the Senate, earning the nickname “Silent Hattie.” But she had learned from her husband’s years of public service about a legislator’s responsibilities, and she took them seriously, building a reputation for integrity.

She took Arkansas politicians by surprise when, presiding over the Senate one day at the invitation of the Vice President, she took advantage of the public attention to this event by announcing her intention to run for reelection. She won, aided by a nine-day campaign tour by populist Huey Long, who saw her as an ally.

She maintained an independent stance, though she was usually supportive of New Deal legislation. She remained, however, a prohibitionist and voted with many other southern senators against antilynching legislation. In 1936, she was joined in the Senate by Rose McConnell Long, Huey Long’s widow, also appointed to fill out her husband’s term (and also winning reelection).

In 1938, Caraway ran again, opposed by Congressman John L. McClellan with the slogan “Arkansas needs another man in the Senate.” She was supported by organizations representing women, veterans and union members, and won the seat by 8,000 votes.

When she ran again in 1944 at age 66, her opponent was 39-year-old Congressman William Fulbright. Hattie Caraway ended up in fourth place in the primary election, and summed it up when she said, “The people are speaking.”

She was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Federal Employees’ Compensation Commission, and later to the Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board. She resigned after suffering a stroke in January, 1950, and died that December.

Women in Elective Office 2005

Congress: Women hold 14.8 percent of the 535 seats in the 109th U.S. Congress – 14, or 14 percent of the 100 seats in the Senate and 65, or 14.9 percent of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives. In addition, three women serve as delegates to the House from Guam, the Virgin Islands and Washington, D.C.

Statewide Elective Executive: In 2005, 79 women hold statewide elective executive offices across the country; women hold 25.1 percent of the 315 available positions. Among these women, 35 are Democrats, 41 are Republicans, and three were elected in nonpartisan races.

State Legislature: In 2005, 1,663, or 22.5 percent, of the 7,382 state legislators in the United States are women. Women hold 401, or 20.3 percent, of the 1,984 state senate seats and 1,262, or 23.3 percent, of the 5,411 state house seats. Since 1971, the number of women serving in state legislatures has increased more than four-fold.

While all these women in different elective offices are outstanding and deserve a mention, it is not possible to talk about all of them due to limitation of space. The elected women’s biographies given below are a random selection made from the list of current elected women in America.

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein

As California’s senior Senator, Dianne Feinstein has built a reputation as an independent voice, working with both Democrats and Republicans to find common-sense solutions to the problems facing California and the nation.

Since her election to the Senate in 1992, Senator Feinstein has worked in a bipartisan way to build a significant record of legislative accomplishments helping strengthen the nation’s security both here and abroad, combat crime and violence, battle cancer, protect natural resources and secure millions in appropriations for Californians.

Senator Feinstein serves on the Judiciary Committee, where she is the ranking member of the Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security Subcommittee; the Appropriations Committee, where she is the ranking member of the Military Construction Subcommittee; the Energy and Natural Resources Committee; the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Rules and Administration Committee.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole

Elizabeth Dole was born in Salisbury, North Carolina on July 29, 1936. She graduated with distinction from Duke University in 1958 and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She earned a degree from Harvard Law School in 1965 and also holds a Master’s degree in Education and Government from Harvard.

From 1969-1973, Dole served as Deputy Assistant for Consumer Affairs to President Richard Nixon, beginning a career of dedication to public safety, for which she received the National Safety Council’s Distinguished Service Award in 1989. Her résumé includes six years (1973-1979) as a member of the Federal Trade Commission and two years (1981-1983) as assistant for Public Liaison to President Ronald Reagan. In February 1983, Dole joined President Reagan’s cabinet as Secretary of Transportation – the first woman to hold that position. She was sworn in by President George H. W. Bush as the nation’s twentieth Secretary of Labor in January 1989. She worked to increase safety and health in the workplace, advocated upgrading the skills of the American workforce, and played a key role in resolving the bitter 11-month Pittston Coal Strike in southwest Virginia.

Dole served as President of the American Red Cross from 1991 through 1999. In January 1999, she sought the Republican presidential nomination. In 2001, Dole traveled to El Salvador with Project Roundhouse, an organization which funds construction of sturdy, inexpensive, easily built, earthquake-resistant round houses in Central America, where thousands have lost their homes to hurricanes and earthquakes. She currently serves as the National Director of Education and Information for Hospice.

Dole’s awards are numerous, ranging from honors for civic service and leadership in government to accolades for her charitable commitments and dedication to issues surrounding women in the workplace. In 1991, she was honored with the prestigious North Carolina Award from Governor James Martin. She was named “North Carolinian of the Year” by the North Carolina Press Association in 1993. Also in 1993, Women Executives in State Government honored Dole with its Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1998, she received the Humanitarian Award from the National Commission Against Drunk Driving. That same year, she was selected for induction into the Safety and Health Hall of Fame International for her numerous transportation, workplace, and blood safety accomplishments. She has also received the Foreign Policy Association Medal and the Radcliffe College Medal for her outstanding accomplishments. Dole was awarded the National Religious Broadcasters’ 1999 Board of Directors Award. In 1995, she received Churchwoman of the Year honors by Religious Heritage of America, and in 1996, the Christian Woman of the Year Association named her Christian Woman of the Year. Dole was honored by the League of Women Voters as the recipient of the Leadership Award in 1994, and in 1995, she received the Raoul Wallenberg Award for Humanitarian Service. She has received honorary doctorate degrees from 40 colleges and universities. Dole served on the Duke University Board of Trustees from 1974-1985 and Board of Overseers for Harvard University from 1990-1996.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi

Since 1987, Nancy Pelosi has represented California’s Eighth District in the House of Representatives. The Eighth District includes most of the City of San Francisco including Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, and many of the diverse neighborhoods that make San Francisco a vibrant and prosperous community. Overwhelmingly elected by her colleagues in the fall of 2002 as Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi is the first woman in American history to lead a major party in the U.S. Congress. Before being elected Leader, she served as House Democratic Whip for one year and was responsible for the party’s legislative strategy in the House.

As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Pelosi fought for America’s families. She has been a leader in increasing educational opportunity, protecting workers, and promoting health care, including women’s health and the creation of a nationwide health tracking network to examine the links between environmental pollutants and chronic disease. She has been a strong proponent of increased investments in health research, and has secured funding to double the budget for the National Institutes of Health. Pelosi also has successfully defeated repeated attempts to reduce funding for international family planning programs.

One of Pelosi’s first legislative victories was the creation of the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program. She has also worked to accelerate development of an HIV vaccine, expand access to Medicaid for people living with HIV, and increase funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative and other programs vital to people living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS.

The American Center acknowledges the following websites in compiling the essay:

http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm

http://www.socialstudies.com/c/@7R6mRICk6462M/Pages/womenpolitics.html

http://womenshistory.about.com/library/bio/blbio_caraway_hattie.htm

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~cawp/Facts/Officeholders/cawpfs.html

http://www.senate.gov/~feinstein/biography.html

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/senators/one_item_and_teasers/dole.htm

http://www.house.gov/pelosi/biography/bio.html

http://thewhitehouseproject.org/old_site/WQ.html

A Word From the Center

I recently read an article that called the U.S. state of Washington (on the west coast) the “Girls’ State.” It was commenting on the fact that the governor and both senators from Washington are women. (And in my opinion, the article should have been entitled “The Women’s State.”) In any case, it noted that in general, the numbers for women in politics have gone down, not up, over the last few election cycles. Washington was the exception.

Why have numbers gone down? There are no clear-cut answers, but as you can see from the profiles of the enormously successful women in politics in this month’s bulletin, lack of ability is not an issue. Many Americans will be closely following this trend over the next few election cycles. I, for one, fully expect to see the trend reversed. I also expect, not just a woman candidate for president, but a woman president within my lifetime. I don’t believe I’m overly optimistic – three eminently qualified women are gracing our bulletin this month, and there are more where they came from. Here’s to Madam President!

Anne E. Grimes
Deputy Director

Notes From the AIRC

A Select Webliography on American Women in Politics



http://womensissues.about.com/od/womeninpolitics/
About.com: Women in Politics – Links

http://www.cluw.org/political.html
Coalition of Labor Union Women – Political Action

http://www.americanwomenpresidents.org/
American Women Presidents

http://www.libr.org/wss/WSSLinks/politics.html
Association of College and Research Libraries: Women and Politics – Links

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~cawp/
Center for American Women and Politics

http://www.mccormack.umb.edu/cwppp/
University of Massachusetts Boston: John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies – Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

http://www.emilyslist.org/
EMILY’s List

http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/People/Women/Politics/Organizations/
Google’s Resources on Women and Politics

http://www.jointcenter.org/
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

http://www.lwv.org/
The League of Women Voters

http://www.nacw.org/
National Association of Commissions for Women

http://nowpacs.org/
National Organization for Women – Political Action Committees

http://www.nwpc.org/
National Women’s Political Caucus

http://cal.sdsu.edu/women/index.htm
San Diego State University: Women in Politics – Electing to Lead

http://www.thewhitehouseproject.org/
The White House Project

http://womeningovernment.org/home/
Women In Government

http://www.wcsyale.org/index.html
The Women’s Campaign School at Yale University

http://www.womenvote.org/resources/

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