Research Catalog

Title

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

Author

Sidorsky, Kaitlin N.

Publication

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

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xiii, 234 pages; 24 cm.

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"--

Series Statement

Studies in government and public policy

Uniform Title

Studies in government and public policy.

Subject

• Women > Political activity > States. > United States
• Women public officers > United States > States
• Women political candidates > United States > States
• Women > Political activity > U.S. states
• United States

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

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.

Call Number

JFE 19-9252

ISBN

• 9780700627868
• 0700627863

LCCN

2018059048

OCLC

1066127185

Author

Sidorsky, Kaitlin N., author.

Title

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

Publisher

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

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Studies in government and public policy

Studies in government and public policy.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Research Call Number

JFE 19-9252