Why Don't More Women in America Get Elected to Political Office?

Out of 50 states in the US, women hold 13 governorships, 28% of Congress, and have never been elected President. The US is 53rd in the world in political gender parity. This is 2025, so really, why is this? And does it even matter - do we really need equal representation in elected offices? In this episode, we look at the social forces at work (who is a leader?) as well as some pragmatic impediments. And yes, it does matter. Bonus: we talk about our deep-seated expectations of who should be in charge.

Resources:

Women Support Harris, but the American Presidency Remains a Male Bastion | The Fuller Project The 119th Congress: Some history makers, but fewer women overall - The 19th Americans tend to elect the tallest person for president - here's how the 2020 candidates would fare | The Independent Pragmatic bias impedes women’s access to political leadership | PNAS