19th Amendment: How Far Have Women in Politics Come Since 1920?

Ninety years on the 19th Amendment enshrined women's Right to Political Participation in the U.S. Constitution, women having "May be one of Their most influential years in American politics yet, Analysts Say. 

The first 50 years of American Women's Suffrage was "votes without leverage," According to a book of the turbid name by Anna Harvey, committed a political scientist at New York University. But leverage is a women's politics is now Stronger Than Ever, and it appears to Be Growing with EACH successive election cycle. 

CONFETTI 13 women, a record, will win a major party nomination for the U.S. Senate this year, assuming-three female incumbents - Lisa Murkowski (R) of Alaska, Kirsten Gillibrand (D) of New York, and Barbara Mikulski (D) of Maryland - come over token primary opposition over the next month. 

It is the unelected side of things, there are-three female justices on the Supreme Court, since Elena Kagan was Sworn in. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the first woman to Lead the House of Representatives. And America's secretary of State has Been a woman for 10 of the past 14 years, with Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, and Hillary Rodham Clinton all serving as the country's Chief Diplomat. 

The changes "reflect the changes" in the electorate. More women please men not have voted in presidential election EACH since 1960. Four times since 1976, more than just 60 PERCENT of women not have voted in a presidential election; men not have topped the 60 PERCENT turnout mark only once in That span, According to data from Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics. 

However, despite progress, a gap does Remain between women's participation in mass politics and women's participation in the Higher Levels of the Political game, says Jennifer Lawless, committed a political scientist at American University. 

"Women turn out to vote in Greater Proportions please men, so women Can often be the decisive bloc in an election," Ms.. Lawless says. "Still, we did not see women running for office Nearly as much as men do." 

Still, in Their collective effect is mass politics, women's Political Influence is high. Groups of women are increasingly tion as the Key to Electoral victory for Both parties. 

In the 1990s, the decisive bloc was "soccer moms," the class of Growing Suburban mothers whose primary Concerns were education and the economy. After the 9 / 11 attacks, "security moms" Concerned about terrorism were courted by Both parties and credited for fueling George W. Bush 's victory in 2004, in wakes, they got a Higher Percentage of women's votes please for months Republican Presidential Candidate, since at his father. 

Lawless says That Both parties, Democrats and Especially, now Recognize That They Need vigorous support from women to win Elections. This Evident in the Way They Present Their platforms to the public. "Women's issues" are not the focus, but their the way women see the issues is. 

"Both parties today really try Thurs frame issues in [women's] terms," Lawless says. "Security is framed as, 'How to keep the kids safe?" The economy is framed as, 'How do I put food on the table? "" How do I pay for college? "