About this Book

"An illuminating compilation of essays.... It provides an excellent overview of the many challenges--and to some degree benefits--that many women candidates and politicians encounter." --Ivy A.M. Cargile, Gender & Society

Scholars and pundits alike will continue for years to speculate about why both Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris lost presidential elections to Donald Trump. Their conclusions may differ, but few would disagree that Clinton's nomination by a major party changed the political landscape in significant ways--nor that the results of the 2016 election provoked a large number of women to run for office at all levels of government. The genie is out of the bottle.

The authors of Madam President? critically analyze the barriers facing women on the road to the White House--from gender stereotyping to biased media coverage, the conflation of masculinity and the presidency, gendered conceptions of leadership, and more.

CONTENTS:

• Electing Madam President--L.C. Han.
• Comparing the Years of the Woman, 1992 and 2018--A. Pluta and M. Knight-Finley.
• Money and Candidate Viability--V.A. Farrar-Myers.
• Masculinity and Media Coverage on the Campaign Trail--M. Conroy.
• Electing a Woman President in the #MeToo Era--C. Heldman.
• Women, the Presidency, and Popular Culture--L. Beail and L.J. Goren.
• The Public's Perceptions of Candidates' Spouses--B. Frederick, L. Elder, and B. Burrell.
• Sex, Gender, and Leadership in the Executive Branch--K.M. Hult.
• Gender and Leadership Challenges in National Security--M. Bose.
• Confronting Barriers on the Road to Madam President--C. Heldman and L.C. Han.