In general, women have made tremendous strides in politics over the last 50 years. A half-century ago, it was extremely rare for women to hold office in the United States. More women started to become involved in politics during the feminist revolution in the 1960s and 1970s, and today we see the results of their efforts. Dozens of women are now represented in Congress. In 2008, Hilary Clinton nearly became the first woman nominated for President by either of the two major political parties. A woman was on the ballot for vice-president that year, and multiple women are rumored as potential presidential or vice-presidential candidates in 2012.
These events on the national level have been well-documented. However, fewer commentators have noticed the wide variation in women’s political progression from state to state. In no state do women make up a majority of state legislators? However, some states have a much larger percentage of women in their state legislature than others do.
According to the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University, Colorado has the highest percentage of women in its state legislature at 41%. Vermont, Arizona, Hawaii, and Minnesota are ranked 2-5, with 39%, 34%, 34%, and 32% respectively (“Women in State Legislative Office 2011”). In contrast, South Carolina has the fewest percentage of women in its state legislature with only 9%, while Oklahoma (13%), Alabama (14%), Mississippi (15%), and North Dakota (15%) round out the bottom five (“Women in State Legislative Office 2011”).
This is an extremely wide variation. At first glance, there does not appear to be a common theme between the five states with the highest percentage of women in their state legislatures. One assumption many pundits make is that liberal states are more likely to elect women to office than more socially conservative states. Under this view, liberals are more likely to support working women, while traditional conservatives are more apt to believe that women belong at home raising their children.
This is a stereotypical assumption in some respects, and a look at the states with the highest rates of women participating in politics does not bear it out. The state with the highest percentage of women in its state legislature, Colorado, is a “swing state” that historically has leaned Republican (although this may be starting to change). Vermont, Hawaii, and Minnesota are solidly liberal states, but Arizona has been one of the most conservative states in the country. One possible explanation may be that Colorado and Arizona are Western states that were settled by pioneers. Since life was often difficult on the frontier, many pioneer families needed to have women earn a living to make ends meet. As a result, Western states may be more open to women participating in politics than other states are.
On the other hand, the states with the fewest percentage of women in state legislatures seem to back up the theory of conservative states being less willing to accept women in politics. South Carolina, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi are all conservative Southern states. North Dakota is also a conservative state (although it is also a Western state, which seems to refute the theory that Western states are more tolerant of women in politics). Even in these states, attitudes may be starting to change. South Carolina elected a woman as its Governor last year in a well-publicized race. However, attitudes do not change overnight. The vast majority of candidates for office, male or female, are in their late-30’s or older. These potential candidates may have been raised to believe that politics is a men’s club. Even if attitudes are changing in these states, it may take a decade or two before the change is reflected in state legislatures.
One interesting note is that Pennsylvania only ranks 42nd in the percentage of women in its state legislature, with 17% (“Women in State Legislative Office 2011”). This is surprising since Pennsylvania is a Northeastern state that is thought to be relatively moderate. However, Pennsylvania is a state that has historically been dominated by political machines in both major parties. Research has shown that large party organizations are less likely to recruit women to run for office (Sabonmatsu 20-21). Political machines usually throw their support behind candidates who have already served in the machine. Since women rarely entered politics until recent decades, they are less likely to have a long track record of working within a party. This is another factor that can only be changed with time.
Ultimately, parties will be more likely to recruit women to run for office when there are more examples of women winning elections. This can be frustrating since it is impossible to win an election without getting a chance to run. Few people of either gender have the financial resources to run for office on their own, so some level of outside support is necessary. However, as more women run for office win elections, more women will be recruited to run for office. This will be true even in states where relatively few women currently hold office. While old attitudes do not vanish overnight, political parties generally place a higher value on winning elections than they do on any traditional gender stereotypes.
Works Cited
Sabonmatsu, Kira. Candidate Recruitment and Women’s Election to the State Legislatures. Report prepared for the Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers U. September 2003: 20-21. Print.
Women in State Legislative Office 2011. Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers U.