Historically, women have played a relatively small role in politics. For more than half of the history of America, women were not even given the right to vote. However, women today are as active as men in most electoral activities and generally turn out in higher numbers to vote in elections (Junn, 390). This paper will analyze the involvement of women in politics and political positions, what issues are most important to women, and the voting patterns of women.

In 1920 the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed. This Amendment, giving women the right to vote, launched a reform in the American political

The issues that women find most important are also something to be analyzed when dealing with women and their role in politics. Women tend to be generalized as being worried about issues such as health care, education, welfare reform, abortion, family values, gun control, and drug coverage. However, the biggest misconception is that women vote on these issues as a block. Many people believe that women vote as a block, with most women voting in favor of the “compassion issues” that encompass those mentioned above. In all actuality though, most women do not vote that differently than men. When analyzed by race, white women tend to vote on the issues in about the same proportion as white men. The same generally holds true not only for white women but also for women of color, in particular African-American women (Kathlene 79).

system. Since that time, it has been documented that women vote less frequently, talk about politics less, and are less likely to run for office. These conclusions about the political behavior of women were based on data gathered between the mid-1950s and the beginning of the 1970s. However, since the mid-1970s, the gap in political participation between men and women has begun to narrow and even disappear in some areas. Now that women are better educated, more likely to be employed outside the home, and have more access to better economic resources, they are just as likely to take an active role in politics. The 1980s and 1990s ended after an explosion in the numbers of women in official and elected political positions at all levels of the government; it also bore witness to a massive increase in participation by women in electoral politics (Junn 388).

In comparison to white women, African-America women tend to vote in higher numbers on “compassion issues”. African-American women tend to vote in higher numbers than white women on issues such as more social security spending, for bigger government, more spending for the poor, and more welfare spending. According to the Survey Research Center, the numbers for African-American women are usually about 20 percent higher than those of white women (Whitaker 79).

Women have also been more active on taking political positions at local and national levels. Women now account for just over eleven percent of all seats in Congress and twenty-one percent of all seats in state legislatures (Carroll 10). Nationwide, there are 6 women governors and the share of women holding office at the municipal and township levels of government has seen an increase of four to fourt

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