Jennifer L Lawless
Biographic Data
| ID | 5986572 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jennifer L Lawless |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jennifer L |
| FAMILY NAME | Lawless |
| SIGNATURE | LAWLESS J L |
| AFFILIATIONS | American University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 29 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 1533 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 29 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| H-INDEX | 16 |
News Hole: The Demise of Local Journalism and Political Engagement
In recent decades, turnout in US presidential elections has soared, education levels have hit historic highs, and the internet has made information more accessible than ever. Yet over that same period, Americans have grown less engaged with local politics and elections. Drawing on detailed analysis of fifteen years of reporting in over 200 local newspapers, along with election returns, surveys, and interviews with journalists, this study shows th…
News Hole: The Demise of Local Journalism and Political Engagement
Nice Girls? Sex, Collegiality, and Bipartisan Cooperation in the US Congress
When women in Congress solve a high-profile problem, their colleagues and the media praise their ability to get Washington's business done by collaborating and compromising in a way that men do not. The problem with this popularly held view is that it is entirely anecdotal. In assembling several new data sets to test this proposition systematically, we find that women are more likely than men to participate in the kinds of activities that foster …
The Decline of Local News and Its Effects: New Evidence from Longitudinal Data
We present the first longitudinal evidence that declining local political news coverage is reducing citizen engagement. Drawing on a content analysis of more than 10,000 stories about US House campaigns in 2010 and 2014, we show that local newspapers over this period published less, and less substantive, political news. We then use panel data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study to investigate how the news environment influences citi…
Women on the Run: Gender, Media, and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era
Claims of bias against female candidates abound in American politics. From superficial media coverage to gender stereotypes held by voters, the conventional wisdom is that women routinely encounter a formidable series of obstacles that complicate their path to elective office. Women on the Run challenges that prevailing view and argues that the declining novelty of women in politics, coupled with the polarization of the Republican and Democratic …
Women Running for Office
When women run for office, they tend to fare at least as well as their male counterparts. From vote totals, to fund‐raising receipts, to media coverage, to voters' evaluations, male and female candidates have become increasingly indistinguishable from one another. This is not to suggest, however, that gender is irrelevant in US politics. It might not prevent women from winning their elections, but it substantially stunts their emergence as candid…
As Local News Goes, So Goes Citizen Engagement: Media, Knowledge, and Participation in US House Elections
We propose a two-stage process to explain the relationship between the local news environment and citizen engagement. Our original content analysis of newspaper coverage in every US House district during the 2010 midterms reveals that districts with uncompetitive races and those served by large-circulation outlets see significantly less, and less substantive, coverage than hotly contested districts and those served by smaller outlets. We then mer…
Who Cares What They Wear? Media, Gender, and the Influence of Candidate Appearance
Objectives This article seeks to determine whether candidate appearance influences election outcomes, and if so, whether the effect depends on the politician's sex. For all of the scholarly attention these questions have received in recent years, the way that media coverage of candidate appearance shapes voters’ evaluations remains unclear. Methods We report the results of an experiment designed to shed light on these questions. We exposed a nati…
Uncovering the Origins of the Gender Gap in Political Ambition
Based on survey responses from a national random sample of nearly 4,000 high school and college students, we uncover a dramatic gender gap in political ambition. This finding serves as striking evidence that the gap is present well before women and men enter the professions from which most candidates emerge. We then use political socialization—which we gauge through a myriad of socializing agents and early life experiences—as a lens through which…
Reconciling Family Roles with Political Ambition: The New Normal for Women in Twenty-First Century U.S. Politics
Based on data from the 2011 Citizen Political Ambition Study—a national survey of nearly 4,000 "potential candidates" for all levels of office—we provide the first thorough analysis of the manner in which traditional family arrangements affect the initial decision to run for office. Our findings reveal that traditional family dynamics do not account for the gender gap in political ambition. Neither marital and parental status, nor the division of…
It Still Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office
Entrando na arena: Gênero E a Decisão De Concorrer a Um Cargo Eletivo
Há um vazio importante na pesquisa sobre a sub-representação das mulheres em cargos eletivos, relacionado à decisão inicial de concorrer. Com base em dados de nosso Citizen Political Ambition Study, a primeira pesquisa nacional de grande escala sobre candidatos potenciais, examinamos o processo pelo qual mulheres e homens surgem como candidatos a cargos eletivos. Nossa conclusão é de que mulheres que têm as mesmas características pessoais e crede…
Gaining and Losing Interest in Running for Public Office: The Concept of Dynamic Political Ambition
Considering a candidacy for public office involves pondering the courageous step of going before an electorate and facing potential examination, scrutiny, and rejection. Anyone who contemplates running for office, therefore, must answer a series of questions. Is the time right to inject my family into the political arena? Where am I in terms of my professional goals? Do I know enough about the issues and the political system to run for office? Am…
Gendered Perceptions and Political Candidacies: A Central Barrier to Women's Equality in Electoral Politics
Based on the second wave of the Citizen Political Ambition Panel Study, we provide the first thorough analysis of how gender affects women and men's efficacy to run for office. Our findings reveal that, despite comparable credentials, backgrounds, and experiences, accomplished women are substantially less likely than similarly situated men to perceive themselves as qualified to seek office. Importantly, women and men rely on the same factors when…
It Still Takes A Candidate: Why Women Don’t Run for Office
It Still Takes A Candidate serves as the only systematic, nationwide empirical account of the manner in which gender affects political ambition. Based on data from the Citizen Political Ambition Panel Study, a national survey conducted of almost 3,800 'potential candidates' in 2001 and a second survey of more than 2,000 of these same individuals in 2008, Jennifer L. Lawless and Richard L. Fox find that women, even in the highest tiers of professi…
If Only They’d Ask: Gender, Recruitment, and Political Ambition
Based on data from the second wave of the Citizen Political Ambition Panel Study—our national survey of more than 2,000 "potential candidates" in 2008—we provide the first thorough analysis of the manner in which gender interacts with political recruitment in the candidate eligibility pool. Our findings are striking. Highly qualified and politically well-connected women from both major political parties are less likely than similarly situated men…
The Primary Reason for Women's Underrepresentation? Reevaluating the Conventional Wisdom
The Primary Reason for Women's Under-Representation? Reevaluating the Conventional Wisdom Jennifer L . Lawless Department of Political Science Brown University [email protected] Kathryn Pearson Department of Political Science University of Minnesota [email protected] Preliminary draft—please do not cite without the permission of the authors. It is well documented that, when women run in general elections for the House of Representatives, …
To Run or Not to Run for Office: Explaining Nascent Political Ambition
Will She Stay or Will She Go? Career Ceilings and Women's Retirement from the U.S. Congress
This article offers the first broad-based, systematic, times-series assessment of the gender dynamics underlying congressional retirement. We extend the body of work on gender and representation by using the congressional retirement literature to develop an argument that accounts for the gender gap in the average length of congressional service. Our results indicate that women are less willing than men to remain in Congress when their ability to …
To Run or Not to Run for Office: Explaining Nascent Political Ambition
In this article, we develop the concept of nascent political ambition and offer the first empirical assessment of potential candidates' initial interest in seeking elective office. Our analysis is based on the Citizen Political Ambition Study—our national survey of nearly 3,800 individuals in the four professions that most frequently precede a career in politics. We find that a general sense of efficacy as a candidate, as well as a politicized up…
Women, War, and Winning Elections: Gender Stereotyping in the Post-September 11th Era
Scores of political science studies reveal that female candidates fare as well as their male counterparts. But the percentage of citizens willing to support a woman presidential party nominee has significantly decreased over the last two years. Based on the results of a Knowledge Networks national random sample survey, this article offers the first empirical examination of the manner in which the atmosphere of war might affect women candidates’ e…
Politics of Presence? Congresswomen and Symbolic Representation
Women, War, and Winning Elections: Gender Stereotyping in the Post-September 11th Era
Politics of Presence? Congresswomen and Symbolic Representation
Gender politics literature stresses the symbolic importance of electing more women to high-level political office. Despite references to the heightened legitimacy that women in politics bring to the political process, and the manner in which they affect constituents’ political attitudes and behavior, little empirical evidence exists regarding the actual benefits of symbolic representation. Using pooled National Election Study data from 1980 to 19…
Entering the Arena? Gender and the Decision to Run for Office
A critical void in the research on women's underrepresentation in elective office is an analysis of the initial decision to run for office. Based on data from our Citizen Political Ambition Study, the first large-scale national survey of potential candidates, we examine the process by which women and men emerge as candidates for public office. We find that women who share the same personal characteristics and professional credentials as men expre…
Entering the Arena? Gender and the Decision to Run for Office
A critical void in the research on women's underrepresentation in elective office is an analysis of the initial decision to run for office. Based on data from our Citizen Political Ambition Study, the first large-scale national survey of potential candidates, we examine the process by which women and men emerge as candidates for public office. We find that women who share the same personal characteristics and professional credentials as men expre…
To Run or Not to Run for Office: Explaining Nascent Political Ambition
In this article, we develop the concept of nascent political ambition and offer the first empirical assessment of potential candidates' initial interest in seeking elective office. Our analysis is based on the Citizen Political Ambition Study—our national survey of nearly 3,800 individuals in the four professions that most frequently precede a career in politics. We find that a general sense of efficacy as a candidate, as well as a politicized up…
If Only They’d Ask: Gender, Recruitment, and Political Ambition
Based on data from the second wave of the Citizen Political Ambition Panel Study—our national survey of more than 2,000 "potential candidates" in 2008—we provide the first thorough analysis of the manner in which gender interacts with political recruitment in the candidate eligibility pool. Our findings are striking. Highly qualified and politically well-connected women from both major political parties are less likely than similarly situated men…
The Primary Reason for Women's Underrepresentation? Reevaluating the Conventional Wisdom
The Primary Reason for Women's Under-Representation? Reevaluating the Conventional Wisdom Jennifer L . Lawless Department of Political Science Brown University [email protected] Kathryn Pearson Department of Political Science University of Minnesota [email protected] Preliminary draft—please do not cite without the permission of the authors. It is well documented that, when women run in general elections for the House of Representatives, …
Gendered Perceptions and Political Candidacies: A Central Barrier to Women's Equality in Electoral Politics
Based on the second wave of the Citizen Political Ambition Panel Study, we provide the first thorough analysis of how gender affects women and men's efficacy to run for office. Our findings reveal that, despite comparable credentials, backgrounds, and experiences, accomplished women are substantially less likely than similarly situated men to perceive themselves as qualified to seek office. Importantly, women and men rely on the same factors when…
Uncovering the Origins of the Gender Gap in Political Ambition
Based on survey responses from a national random sample of nearly 4,000 high school and college students, we uncover a dramatic gender gap in political ambition. This finding serves as striking evidence that the gap is present well before women and men enter the professions from which most candidates emerge. We then use political socialization—which we gauge through a myriad of socializing agents and early life experiences—as a lens through which…
The Decline of Local News and Its Effects: New Evidence from Longitudinal Data
We present the first longitudinal evidence that declining local political news coverage is reducing citizen engagement. Drawing on a content analysis of more than 10,000 stories about US House campaigns in 2010 and 2014, we show that local newspapers over this period published less, and less substantive, political news. We then use panel data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study to investigate how the news environment influences citi…
As Local News Goes, So Goes Citizen Engagement: Media, Knowledge, and Participation in US House Elections
We propose a two-stage process to explain the relationship between the local news environment and citizen engagement. Our original content analysis of newspaper coverage in every US House district during the 2010 midterms reveals that districts with uncompetitive races and those served by large-circulation outlets see significantly less, and less substantive, coverage than hotly contested districts and those served by smaller outlets. We then mer…
Gender and the Decision to Run for Office
Despite an electoral system that appears to present excellent opportunities for women to win elective office, the number of women remains low. While the initial decision to run for office is critical in understanding women's continued under-representation in elective office, very little research explores this subject. To examine the manner in which gender affects the decision to seek an elective position, we investigated how men and women in the …
It Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office
It Takes a Candidate serves as the first systematic, nationwide empirical account of the manner in which gender affects political ambition. Based on data from the Citizen Political Ambition Study, a national survey conducted on almost 3,800 'potential candidates', we find that women, even in the highest tiers of professional accomplishment, are substantially less likely than men to demonstrate ambition to seek elected office. Women are less likel…
Gaining and Losing Interest in Running for Public Office: The Concept of Dynamic Political Ambition
Considering a candidacy for public office involves pondering the courageous step of going before an electorate and facing potential examination, scrutiny, and rejection. Anyone who contemplates running for office, therefore, must answer a series of questions. Is the time right to inject my family into the political arena? Where am I in terms of my professional goals? Do I know enough about the issues and the political system to run for office? Am…
Political Participation of the Urban Poor
Although exploring the political participation of the poor is of paramount significance in the current social policy and welfare environment, the dearth of quantitative, in-depth analysis speaks to the difficulty of conducting research revolving around the political participation of impoverished citizens. In an attempt to gain a fuller understanding of political participation among the urban poor, we investigated variations in economic hardship, …
Nice Girls? Sex, Collegiality, and Bipartisan Cooperation in the US Congress
When women in Congress solve a high-profile problem, their colleagues and the media praise their ability to get Washington's business done by collaborating and compromising in a way that men do not. The problem with this popularly held view is that it is entirely anecdotal. In assembling several new data sets to test this proposition systematically, we find that women are more likely than men to participate in the kinds of activities that foster …
Reconciling Family Roles with Political Ambition: The New Normal for Women in Twenty-First Century U.S. Politics
Based on data from the 2011 Citizen Political Ambition Study—a national survey of nearly 4,000 "potential candidates" for all levels of office—we provide the first thorough analysis of the manner in which traditional family arrangements affect the initial decision to run for office. Our findings reveal that traditional family dynamics do not account for the gender gap in political ambition. Neither marital and parental status, nor the division of…
Will She Stay or Will She Go? Career Ceilings and Women's Retirement from the U.S. Congress
This article offers the first broad-based, systematic, times-series assessment of the gender dynamics underlying congressional retirement. We extend the body of work on gender and representation by using the congressional retirement literature to develop an argument that accounts for the gender gap in the average length of congressional service. Our results indicate that women are less willing than men to remain in Congress when their ability to …
Who Cares What They Wear? Media, Gender, and the Influence of Candidate Appearance
Objectives This article seeks to determine whether candidate appearance influences election outcomes, and if so, whether the effect depends on the politician's sex. For all of the scholarly attention these questions have received in recent years, the way that media coverage of candidate appearance shapes voters’ evaluations remains unclear. Methods We report the results of an experiment designed to shed light on these questions. We exposed a nati…
Family Structure, Sex-Role Socialization, and the Decision to Run for Office
A leading explanation for the small number of women in top elective positions is that not enough women comprise the pool of candidates generally considered “eligible” to run for political office. This explanation assumes that once more women excel in the areas of law and business, the leading occupations preceding a career in politics, the disparity between the number of women and men serving in elected positions will dissipate. Despite the fact …
Entrando na arena: Gênero E a Decisão De Concorrer a Um Cargo Eletivo
Há um vazio importante na pesquisa sobre a sub-representação das mulheres em cargos eletivos, relacionado à decisão inicial de concorrer. Com base em dados de nosso Citizen Political Ambition Study, a primeira pesquisa nacional de grande escala sobre candidatos potenciais, examinamos o processo pelo qual mulheres e homens surgem como candidatos a cargos eletivos. Nossa conclusão é de que mulheres que têm as mesmas características pessoais e crede…
It Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office
It Takes a Candidate serves as the first systematic, nationwide empirical account of the manner in which gender affects political ambition. Based on data from the Citizen Political Ambition Study, a national survey conducted on almost 3,800 'potential candidates', we find that women, even in the highest tiers of professional accomplishment, are substantially less likely than men to demonstrate ambition to seek elected office. Women are less likel…
Gender and the Decision to Run for Office
Despite an electoral system that appears to present excellent opportunities for women to win elective office, the number of women remains low. While the initial decision to run for office is critical in understanding women's continued under-representation in elective office, very little research explores this subject. To examine the manner in which gender affects the decision to seek an elective position, we investigated how men and women in the …
Political Participation of the Urban Poor
Although exploring the political participation of the poor is of paramount significance in the current social policy and welfare environment, the dearth of quantitative, in-depth analysis speaks to the difficulty of conducting research revolving around the political participation of impoverished citizens. In an attempt to gain a fuller understanding of political participation among the urban poor, we investigated variations in economic hardship, …
Family Structure, Sex-Role Socialization, and the Decision to Run for Office
A leading explanation for the small number of women in top elective positions is that not enough women comprise the pool of candidates generally considered “eligible” to run for political office. This explanation assumes that once more women excel in the areas of law and business, the leading occupations preceding a career in politics, the disparity between the number of women and men serving in elected positions will dissipate. Despite the fact …
Women, War, and Winning Elections: Gender Stereotyping in the Post-September 11th Era
Scores of political science studies reveal that female candidates fare as well as their male counterparts. But the percentage of citizens willing to support a woman presidential party nominee has significantly decreased over the last two years. Based on the results of a Knowledge Networks national random sample survey, this article offers the first empirical examination of the manner in which the atmosphere of war might affect women candidates’ e…
Politics of Presence? Congresswomen and Symbolic Representation
Women, War, and Winning Elections: Gender Stereotyping in the Post-September 11th Era
Politics of Presence? Congresswomen and Symbolic Representation
Gender politics literature stresses the symbolic importance of electing more women to high-level political office. Despite references to the heightened legitimacy that women in politics bring to the political process, and the manner in which they affect constituents’ political attitudes and behavior, little empirical evidence exists regarding the actual benefits of symbolic representation. Using pooled National Election Study data from 1980 to 19…
Entering the Arena? Gender and the Decision to Run for Office
A critical void in the research on women's underrepresentation in elective office is an analysis of the initial decision to run for office. Based on data from our Citizen Political Ambition Study, the first large-scale national survey of potential candidates, we examine the process by which women and men emerge as candidates for public office. We find that women who share the same personal characteristics and professional credentials as men expre…
To Run or Not to Run for Office: Explaining Nascent Political Ambition
Will She Stay or Will She Go? Career Ceilings and Women's Retirement from the U.S. Congress
This article offers the first broad-based, systematic, times-series assessment of the gender dynamics underlying congressional retirement. We extend the body of work on gender and representation by using the congressional retirement literature to develop an argument that accounts for the gender gap in the average length of congressional service. Our results indicate that women are less willing than men to remain in Congress when their ability to …
To Run or Not to Run for Office: Explaining Nascent Political Ambition
In this article, we develop the concept of nascent political ambition and offer the first empirical assessment of potential candidates' initial interest in seeking elective office. Our analysis is based on the Citizen Political Ambition Study—our national survey of nearly 3,800 individuals in the four professions that most frequently precede a career in politics. We find that a general sense of efficacy as a candidate, as well as a politicized up…
The Primary Reason for Women's Underrepresentation? Reevaluating the Conventional Wisdom
The Primary Reason for Women's Under-Representation? Reevaluating the Conventional Wisdom Jennifer L . Lawless Department of Political Science Brown University [email protected] Kathryn Pearson Department of Political Science University of Minnesota [email protected] Preliminary draft—please do not cite without the permission of the authors. It is well documented that, when women run in general elections for the House of Representatives, …
It Still Takes A Candidate: Why Women Don’t Run for Office
It Still Takes A Candidate serves as the only systematic, nationwide empirical account of the manner in which gender affects political ambition. Based on data from the Citizen Political Ambition Panel Study, a national survey conducted of almost 3,800 'potential candidates' in 2001 and a second survey of more than 2,000 of these same individuals in 2008, Jennifer L. Lawless and Richard L. Fox find that women, even in the highest tiers of professi…
If Only They’d Ask: Gender, Recruitment, and Political Ambition
Based on data from the second wave of the Citizen Political Ambition Panel Study—our national survey of more than 2,000 "potential candidates" in 2008—we provide the first thorough analysis of the manner in which gender interacts with political recruitment in the candidate eligibility pool. Our findings are striking. Highly qualified and politically well-connected women from both major political parties are less likely than similarly situated men…
Gaining and Losing Interest in Running for Public Office: The Concept of Dynamic Political Ambition
Considering a candidacy for public office involves pondering the courageous step of going before an electorate and facing potential examination, scrutiny, and rejection. Anyone who contemplates running for office, therefore, must answer a series of questions. Is the time right to inject my family into the political arena? Where am I in terms of my professional goals? Do I know enough about the issues and the political system to run for office? Am…
Gendered Perceptions and Political Candidacies: A Central Barrier to Women's Equality in Electoral Politics
Based on the second wave of the Citizen Political Ambition Panel Study, we provide the first thorough analysis of how gender affects women and men's efficacy to run for office. Our findings reveal that, despite comparable credentials, backgrounds, and experiences, accomplished women are substantially less likely than similarly situated men to perceive themselves as qualified to seek office. Importantly, women and men rely on the same factors when…
It Still Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office
Entrando na arena: Gênero E a Decisão De Concorrer a Um Cargo Eletivo
Há um vazio importante na pesquisa sobre a sub-representação das mulheres em cargos eletivos, relacionado à decisão inicial de concorrer. Com base em dados de nosso Citizen Political Ambition Study, a primeira pesquisa nacional de grande escala sobre candidatos potenciais, examinamos o processo pelo qual mulheres e homens surgem como candidatos a cargos eletivos. Nossa conclusão é de que mulheres que têm as mesmas características pessoais e crede…
Who Cares What They Wear? Media, Gender, and the Influence of Candidate Appearance
Objectives This article seeks to determine whether candidate appearance influences election outcomes, and if so, whether the effect depends on the politician's sex. For all of the scholarly attention these questions have received in recent years, the way that media coverage of candidate appearance shapes voters’ evaluations remains unclear. Methods We report the results of an experiment designed to shed light on these questions. We exposed a nati…
Uncovering the Origins of the Gender Gap in Political Ambition
Based on survey responses from a national random sample of nearly 4,000 high school and college students, we uncover a dramatic gender gap in political ambition. This finding serves as striking evidence that the gap is present well before women and men enter the professions from which most candidates emerge. We then use political socialization—which we gauge through a myriad of socializing agents and early life experiences—as a lens through which…
Reconciling Family Roles with Political Ambition: The New Normal for Women in Twenty-First Century U.S. Politics
Based on data from the 2011 Citizen Political Ambition Study—a national survey of nearly 4,000 "potential candidates" for all levels of office—we provide the first thorough analysis of the manner in which traditional family arrangements affect the initial decision to run for office. Our findings reveal that traditional family dynamics do not account for the gender gap in political ambition. Neither marital and parental status, nor the division of…
Women Running for Office
When women run for office, they tend to fare at least as well as their male counterparts. From vote totals, to fund‐raising receipts, to media coverage, to voters' evaluations, male and female candidates have become increasingly indistinguishable from one another. This is not to suggest, however, that gender is irrelevant in US politics. It might not prevent women from winning their elections, but it substantially stunts their emergence as candid…
As Local News Goes, So Goes Citizen Engagement: Media, Knowledge, and Participation in US House Elections
We propose a two-stage process to explain the relationship between the local news environment and citizen engagement. Our original content analysis of newspaper coverage in every US House district during the 2010 midterms reveals that districts with uncompetitive races and those served by large-circulation outlets see significantly less, and less substantive, coverage than hotly contested districts and those served by smaller outlets. We then mer…
Women on the Run: Gender, Media, and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era
Claims of bias against female candidates abound in American politics. From superficial media coverage to gender stereotypes held by voters, the conventional wisdom is that women routinely encounter a formidable series of obstacles that complicate their path to elective office. Women on the Run challenges that prevailing view and argues that the declining novelty of women in politics, coupled with the polarization of the Republican and Democratic …
Political science (27 works) · Politics (23 works) · Law (22 works) · Gender Politics and Representation (21 works) · Electoral Systems and Political Participation (18 works) · Sociology (18 works) · Psychology (14 works) · Law (13 works) · Social Psychology (12 works) · Economics (11 works)