All roads lead to power : appointed and elected paths to public office for US women / Kaitlin N. Sidorsky.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sidorsky, Kaitlin N., author.

Contributor:

Class of 1924 Book Fund.

Series:

Studies in government and public policy

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women political candidates.

Women public officers.

Women--Political activity.

United States.

Women--Political activity--United States--States.

Women.

Women public officers--United States--States.

Women political candidates--United States--States.

Women--Political activity--U.S. states.

Physical Description:

xiii, 234 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Lawrence, Kansas : University Press of Kansas, [2019]

Summary:

"We are accustomed to hearing about a gender gap in politics. The low representation of women in elected office is well-documented and typically attributed to institutional barriers, discrimination, and differences in political ambition due to socialized gender norms. The problem with this narrative, as Kaitlin Sidorsky observes, is that it leaves out political appointment as an alternative path to public service. More women participate in politics than scholars have acknowledged, but they do so through appointments. And this road to power has been understudied for the same reason that many women pursue appointed positions over elected office: because they can serve the public in a way that does not seem "political." Women are not always just "victims" of their own lack of self-confidence or a biased political sphere, but in fact make a conscious decision to enter politics through what they consider a far less partisan and negative entry point. Very few scholars have studied female appointees in the same manner they study female officeholders, and this omission ignores the political histories, recruitment patterns, and levels of political ambition of women. It also underappreciates the importance of appointed positions, which are some of the most important roles in the government. All Roads Lead to Power explores why women are attracted to these positions through an original survey and interviews with officials across twenty states and four bureaucratic departments. Sidorsky's research sheds light on the recruitment process, motivations for holding office, and political ambitions of women who look for alternative, "non-political" routes to public service"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Reconceptualizing women and public service

The men and women in elected and appointed office at the state level

You should be appointed : political recruitment for state-level appointed officials

Why hold public office? : appointed officials' motivations to hold public office

Where do I go from here? : the political ambitions of appointed officeholders

Considering the other pathway : appointed officials' interest in elected office

A different perspective : recruitment, motivations, and ambitions of state elected officials

How to be the nonpolitical public servant.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Class of 1924 Book Fund.

ISBN:

9780700627868

0700627863

OCLC:

1066127185