In the run-up to the 2012 presidential election, Democrats and Republicans were locked in a fierce battle for the female vote. Democrats charged Republicans with waging a "war on women," while Republicans countered that Democratic policies actually undermined women's rights. The women of the Senate wielded particular power, planning press conferences, appearing on political programs, and taking to the Senate floor over gender-related issues such as workplace equality and reproductive right...

Women and Politics: Paths to Power and Political Influence examines the role of women in politics from the early women's movement to the female politicians in power today. Focusing on women whose stories have not yet been told, this book includes new analysis and scholarship on the experiences and viewpoints of conservative women, women of color, LGBT women, and millennial women. Students will gain historical insight into how women have achieved political power and how they have i...

What if there were more women in Congress? Providing the first comprehensive study of the policy activity of male and female legislators at the federal level, Michele L. Swers persuasively demonstrates that, even though representatives often vote a party line, their gender is politically significant and does indeed influence policy making.Swers combines quantitative analyses of bills with interviews with legislators and their staff to compare legislative activity on women's issues ...