December 17, 2014

CAWP NEWS & NOTES

A newsletter to keep you informed about all things women and politics from the Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University

Breaking even in the Senate, edging upward in the House

Now that all congressional elections are decided, it turns out we're breaking even in the Senate: 20 women in 2014, 20 women in 2015, although the party balance has shifted slightly (14D, 6R). Read Professor Kelly Dittmar's take on CAWP's footnotes1 blog. And with the last contested election now resolved (giving Martha McSally the seat in AZ2), the U.S. House of Representatives will include 84 women (62D, 22R) along with three women serving as non-voting delegates. It's all summarized in the final version of CAWP's post-election press release.

The Perfect Holiday Gift

Hot off the presses comes the new book by CAWP's own Kelly Dittmar, Navigating Gendered Terrain: Stereotypes and Strategy in Political Campaigns. If you're a fan of this e-newsletter, you're just the kind of person who will want to read it. Per the publisher, Temple University Press:

In her probing study, Navigating Gendered Terrain, Kelly Dittmar investigates how gender influences the campaign strategy and behavior of candidates today. Concurrently, she shows how candidates' strategic and tactical decisions can influence the gendered nature of campaign institutions.

Don't forget to add this title to your list for Santa - and order a copy for a friend!

Imperfect Holiday Gifts

A new post on CAWP's Teach a Girl to Lead™ blog reports disappointing news about Star Wars Rebels toys and action figures. Find out why Jean Sinzdak's daughters won't be getting any of them for Christmas.

There's still time...

to make a tax deductible gift to CAWP! We're here for you throughout the year. Your gift of $25, $50 or $100 will help us continue to deliver the stellar nonpartisan research and programs you count on, including: Ready to Run�, NEW Leadership™ and Teach a Girl to Lead™.

Dress codes for grown-ups?

The New York Times reports on a new dress code prescribed for the Montana State Legislature, described by one political blog as tone-deaf and insensitive.

Will women voters hold the key to 2016?

The Dayton Daily News explains why women voters will decide the election and what factors might play into their choices.

Are women election-averse?

Two professors at the University of Pittsburgh conducted an experiment to explore whether women are inherently averse to running for office. Check out this MSNBC video and decide whether you agree.

Is this what a flood looks like?

Jonathan Easley of The Hill discusses the growing number of GOP women "flooding the ranks" of their party in the House - 22 women among the 247 Republican members, or about 9 percent. While up from the 19 House women in 2014, this figure comes nowhere close to the number of Democratic women in the House - 62 women, constituting 33 percent of their caucus.

Center for American Women and Politics

Eagleton Institute of Politics

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

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