American politics: a local government analysis of how gender influences the decision to run for office

Abstract

How does gender affect the decision to run for local office? This article explains how the socialization of traditional gender roles influenced a public perception where men are more qualified for political positions than women, and how in turn, the public-perception influenced a negative self-perception where women feel less qualified to run for office. In addition to those factors, this article explains how political party, professional career and recruitment opportunities pose challenges for women where they pose fewer to no challenges for men. Identifying these factors is necessary in order for women to one day achieve representation proportional to their population. The survey conducted in this research on local town and city council governments throughout New York State, seeks to uncover how all of those factors influenced the decision to run for local office.