It Takes More Than a Candidate

'This latest work by Lawless and Fox is an all-to-rare thing in social sciences - authors returning again and again to important questions and examining those questions over time, in different contexts, and during different political periods. The three waves of the Citizen Political Ambition Study examine a fundamental political question - how can women enter politics at higher levels when our gendered society remains a drag on ambition? Their identification of the forces still facing women provides both reasons to be pessimistic and a clear sense of the roots of the problem.' Kathy Dolan, distinguished professor at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and author of When Does Gender Matter? 'The last 20 years of American politics have been marked by head-spinning developments and dramatic upheaval, leaving many of us with the feeling that everything has changed. But some things haven't. In the third edition of their pathbreaking work, Jennifer L. Lawless and Richard L. Fox reveal that the gender gap in political ambition remains surprisingly stubborn. Despite significant social and political change, women are still much less likely to run for office than men - just as was true two decades ago. Fox and Lawless' original research created an agenda for understanding women's underrepresentation in American politics, and this new book underscores how their insights remain as vital today as ever.' Danny Hayes, George Washington University, and co-author of Women on the Run: Gender, Media, and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era