This edition of Women and Elective Office offers the latest research on women as candidates and officeholders. It provides a comprehensive look at at the history and status of women in elective office, their prospects for the future, and why women in elected office matter to American democracy. It features all-new essays and up-to-the-minute research by leading experts in the field, including the latest political trends and events such as Hillary Rodham Clinton's run for the presidency, women's representation on the state and local level, the diversity of women officeholders' experiences and circumstances, and female judges. Women and Elective Office is an essential guide to understanding the past, present, and future of women in all echelons of government.

1. IntroductionSue Thomas2. Women's Under-Representation in U.S. Politics: The Enduring Gender Gap in Political AmbitionJennifer L. Lawless, Richard L. Fox, and Gail Baitinger3. Voter Attitudes, Behaviors, and Women CandidatesTimothy R. Lynch and Kathleen Dolan4. The Race for the Presidency: Hillary Rodham ClintonRegina G. Lawrence and Melody Rose5. Hillary Rodham-Clinton: A Case Study in the Rhetoric of Female Political FiguresMoana Vercoe, Randall Gonzalez, and Jean Reith Schroedel6. Women and CampaignsRebekah Herrick and Jeanette Morehouse Mendez7. Conservative Women Run for OfficeRonnee Schreiber8. Different Portraits, Different Leaders? Gender Differencesin U.S. Senators' Presentationof SelfKim L. Fridkin and Patrick J. Kenney9. Female Governors and Gubernatorial CandidatesValerie R. O'Regan and Stephen J.Stambough10. Representing Women's Interests in a Polarized CongressMichele L. Swers11. Women State Legislators:Women's Issues in Partisan EnvironmentsTracy Osborn and Rebecca Kreitzer12. Entry Level Politics? Women as Candidates and Elected Officials at the Local LevelLaura van Assendelft13. Judicial WomenSally J. Kenney14. Woman of Color Candidates and OfficeholdersLisa Garcia Bedolla, Katherine Tate, and Janelle Wong15. Lesbian Candidates and OfficeholdersDonald P. Haider-Markel and Chelsie Lynn Moore Bright16. The Geography of WomenBarbara Norrander and Clyde Wilcox17. Women in Elective Office Worldwide: Barriers and OpportunitiesPippa Norris and Mona Lena Krook