Women, Partisanship, and the Congress

Congress is no longer exclusively a boys' club, but the women there must operate, at least for a time, under its traditional culture. Evans (government, U. of West Florida) has conducted extensive interviews to produce this study about how women in Congress respond to the pressures of party loyalty and party expectations, political goals and re-election. In the process she seeks answers to basic questions: Does partisanship impact women's legislative behavior? Does in impact their experience in the district, or in the party organization? Do women in congress vote alike? She finds the answers to be complex, with the politics and cultures of districts and parties significant sources of complications. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR