How Congresswomen of Color Affect Policymaking in the U.S.: 110th - 111th Congress

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Penn collection
CUREJ - College Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal
Degree type
Discipline
Subject
Congress
policymaking
women in politics
federal government
African American
Latino
Hispanic American
Asian American
American politics
minorities
minorities in government
Social Sciences
Political Science
Daniel Gillion
Gillion
Daniel
American Politics
Legislation
Political Science
Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
Funder
Grant number
License
Copyright date
Distributor
Related resources
Contributor
Abstract

Congresswomen of color yield a distinct policy impact in Congress through their perspectives as women and as Americans of color, and through the mix of congressional tools they most often use. Both despite and through the legislative process and the institutional leadership positions they hold, they are able to influence policy by engaging with the executive branch. These more frequently utilized tools include scrutinizing and pressuring the executive branch as advocates, critics and advisers, and public outreach to generate more inclusive and better-informed policymaking. These congresswomen often specifically address substantive interests that are especially pronounced for people of color around the world, women, low-income Americans, and other disadvantaged groups, in policy debates where these considerations are both expected and unexpected. Women of color also adopt a no-nonsense, assertive and persistent style of policymaking. Media content research and other qualitative analyses suggest that Congresswomen of color face more difficulty in gaining credit and attention for their efforts than the average congressperson, which is a disservice to the American public and their understanding of Congress. Their impact is this: their backgrounds as women of color provide expertise and their distinct modi operandi improve the quality of legislation by considering the combined needs of people of color, women, low-income populations, and others both domestic and foreign that the general public is unaware of or purposefully disregard. With a sensitivity to overlooked and disadvantaged peoples, congresswomen of color challenge fellow members of Congress and the American public to broaden their policy concerns to be more inclusive, comprehensive, and just.

Advisor
Daniel
Gillion
Q.
Date Range for Data Collection (Start Date)
Date Range for Data Collection (End Date)
Digital Object Identifier
Series name and number
Publication date
2011-04-21
Journal title
Volume number
Issue number
Publisher
Publisher DOI
Journal Issue
Comments
Recommended citation
Collection