As the 2024 election comes into focus, Gender on the Ballot and the Benenson Strategy Group investigate whether women across the country are more interested in political issues and more motivated to get involved in politics at a local, state, or federal level.

The study reveals that women are engaged in politics, supportive of women elected officials, and tuned into conversations about hot-button issues such as reproductive rights and inflation. However, women are also burnt out, financially strained, and increasingly concerned about extremism in politics.

To learn more about this new research, check out our Gender on the Ballot website where you will find key takeaways, memo, and our press release.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, please join American University's Women & Politics Institute and the First Ladies Initiative for a virtual conversation with Rebecca Boggs Roberts, author of the forthcoming book, Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson and WPI Executive Director Betsy Fischer Martin. Introductory remarks will be given by AU First Ladies Initiative Director Anita McBride, who was the Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush.

Boggs Roberts tells the story of how Edith Wilson rose from poverty to become the First Lady of the United States, detailing her time as acting president while her husband was incapacitated in 1919 before women had the right to vote nationwide. Untold Power is a “nuanced portrait of the first acting woman president, written with fresh and cinematic verve by a leading historian on women’s suffrage and power.” Order the book here.

Co-sponsored by the First Ladies Association for Research and Education.

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The following core courses will be offered in Fall 2023 for the Women, Policy and Political Leadership (WPPL) Undergraduate and Graduate Certificate Programs. Use the navigation menu at the left for details on course values, schedules and instructors.

• GOVT 482/682.001 Women & Politics
• GOVT 485/685.002 Women, Citizenship, and the ERA
• GOVT 282 Intro to Women & Politics
• GOVT 485/685.001 America's First Ladies
• GOVT 486/686.001 Feminist Political Theory

Taking the Mic: Fearless Women in American Politics: TAMU’s Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs discusses the history of women’s participation in US politics stating that “each generation since [Abigail Adams] has widened women’s opportunities for participation.”

Now is the Time to Run for Office! WPI Instructor China Dickerson urges those who have contemplated running for office to consider launching a campaign. Citing the need for more diverse representation, Dickerson implores people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and young citizens to “enter our city halls, state capitals, school boards, and congressional floor[s].”

Check out all event recaps here, or visit our Crowdcast channel here to watch full replays of previous events.

March 1: Kicking-off Women’s History Month, New York Times best-selling author Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs, Melbern Glasscock Chair at Texas A&M University, discussed her new book, Fearless Women: Feminist Patriots from Abigail Adams to Beyoncé. Watch the full replay here

February 22: Dr. Anastasia Curwood discussed her book, Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics, the “definitive biography” of the first Black major-party presidential candidate that interweaves Chisholm's “public image, political commitments, and private experiences." Watch the full replay here

Nov 9: Amanda Hunter, Christine Matthews, Atima Omara, and Mabinty Quarshie broke down the 2022 midterm elections and shared their analysis on how women candidates fared up and down the ballot with Betsy Fischer Martin. Read more here and watch the full replay here

October 26: American University alumna Dr. Bonnie Morris, CAS/BA '83, discussed her book What's the Score?: 25 Years of Teaching Women's Sports History, which offers an “insider's look at sports education but also an engaging guide to turning points in women's sports history that everyone should know.” Read more here and watch the full replay here

October 12: NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Ali Vitali discussed her new book Electable: Why America Hasn't Put a Woman in the White House . . . Yet, “a fearless deep dive into the 2020 election,” which investigates the “gendered double standards placed on women presidential candidates." Read more here and watch the full replay here

September 28: AU alumna Dr. Elisabeth Griffith, CAS/Ph.D ‘84, discussed her book, Formidable: American Women and the Fight for Equality: 1920-2020, that chronicles the fight by white and Black women to achieve equality following the "incomplete" victory of the Nineteenth Amendment’s ratification. Read more here and watch the full replay here

September 7: Lis Smith, former senior advisor in communications to presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, discussed her new best-selling book Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story, “a rollicking irreverent look behind the scenes of American politics from one of the most sought-after operatives in the Democratic Party." Read more here and watch the full replay here
 

April 27: Valerie Biden Owens, discussed her book Growing Up Biden: A Memoir, a compelling account of “breaking through gender barriers, the elusive nature of confidence, and navigating professional responsibilities while raising children.” Watch the full replay here

April 13: Liuba Grechen Shirley discussed Vote Mama's mission to “break the structural barriers moms face running for office, normalize moms of young children running, and leverage a network of moms in office to advance women-centered, family-friendly legislation.” Watch the full replay here

March 16: Amanda Hunter and Lindsay Vermeyen presented the findings from our new Gender on the Ballot poll, conducted by Benenson Strategy Group, that explored the issues shaping women voters and their political opinions two years after the start of the pandemic, with WPI Executive Director Betsy Fischer Martin. Watch the full replay here

February 16: Former prosecutor and human rights lawyer Maggy Krell discussed her debut book, Taking Down Backpage: Fighting the World’s Largest Sex Trafficker, a “gripping story of tragedy, overcoming adversity, and the pursuit of justice that gives insight into the fight against sex trafficking in the digital age.” Watch the full replay here