How far are we from gender parity in American politics?
Pretty far, argue the coauthors of It Takes More Than a Candidate
It Takes More Than a Candidate is the only systematic account of the gender gap in political ambition over time. Based on national surveys of more than 10,000 potential candidates in 2001, 2011, and 2021, the book shows that women, even in the highest tiers of professional accomplishment, are substantially less likely than men to demonstrate ambition to seek elective office. The gender gap in political ambition persists across generations and over time. Women remain less likely to be recruited to run for office, less likely to think they are qualified to run, and less likely to express a willingness to run for office in the future. Twenty years after the publication of It Takes a Candidate, this book remains timely and eye-opening, highlighting the challenges women face in navigating the candidate emergence process and providing insight into the persistent gender gap in political ambition.
Excerpted from It Takes More Than a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office, 3rd edition, published by Cambridge University Press ©2025
