Whatever Happened to the Year of the Woman? : Why Women Still Aren't Making It to the Top in Politics [Paperback]

Amy H. Handlin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1998 | ISBN-10: 0912869224 | ISBN-13: 978-0912869223 | Edition: Ex-Library

Despite a quarter century of feminist political activism, the U.S. Congress remains nearly 90% male. This reality contrasts sharply with the expectations raised in 1992, when women's stunning victories in national, state, and local elections prompted the press to declare it "The Year of the Woman." This is the first book to analyze the barriers to women's political advancement from the perspective of women politicians themselves--those on the national scene as well as those at the grassroots level. The author conducted extensive interviews with women officeholders across the country. Their colorful and candid remarks and personal experiences dramatically illustrate why political parity has proven so illusive. The author analyzes women politicians' motives for continuing in public office despite the odds. She examines their powerful impact on legislative issues. Finally, she presents persuasive arguments on how the female majority can come together to control the very electoral process that makes them feel so powerless.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Handlin, a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Public issues and associate professor of marketing at Monmouth University, examines the status of women in American politics five years after the 1992 elections, which she believes represented an isolated swell rather than a tidal wave of women in government. Handlin uses the perspectives of town-council members, mayors, county commissioners, and state legislators, as well as a few governors and congresswomen, to explain the slow rate of increase in the number of new women elected to office since the much-heralded "Year of the Woman." Her well-researched and thoroughly documented book provides excellent background on the problems for women entering politics and suggests how women in politics can increase their chances at the polls. An appendix provides the names and addresses of Women's PACs and Donor Networks, and there is an extensive bibliography. Recommended for academic and public libraries with strong political science and women's studies collections.?Jill Ortner, SUNY at Buffalo Lib.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Handlin uses her skills as a marketing expert and her experience as a politician in this analysis of the reasons the surge of women elected in 1992 to government offices lost its momentum. She cites the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings and the spotlight it forced on sexual harassment as a major reason women won more congressional seats in 1992 ("the year of the woman") than in the previous 20 years. Based on interviews with 50 women officeholders in 22 states, Handlin outlines some of the issues facing women interested in politics, including the difficulty of raising funds and the need for political longevity to get to the higher offices. After giving an overview of recent developments involving women and politics, Handlin focuses on a few case studies that illustrate particular obstacles faced by women, such as balancing the demands of parenting and politics and practicing political and party etiquette. This book is an interesting look at the factors that continue to keep the numbers of women elected to office at low levels. Vanessa Bush

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Product Details

• Paperback: 198 pages
• Publisher: Arden Pr; Ex-Library edition (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0912869224
• ISBN-13: 978-0912869223
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,672,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, PhD currently serves as Deputy Minority Leader of the New Jersey General Assembly. She is also Associate Professor in the Department of Management and Marketing at Monmouth University. She holds a BA from Harvard, an MBA from Columbia and a PhD from New York University's Stern School of Business.
Contact Amy Handlin: [e-mail]