Women Candidates for Political Office in the US in the Twenties

摘要

The US politics changed significantly with the presence of women in the same and their entrance in all areas of government, something just unthinkable a decade ago. The political culture of the American society changed dramatically during and since the twenties. The different political interests as well as the style introduced in politics by the first women legislators made citizens change their formed image of politics and politicians. Women were breaking into the political landscape with more strength, but what we were quite certain about was the arduous task that women had to face in the twenties in order to reach relevant public or political office. Perhaps the most noticeable changes had to do with the impact that women voters had on the electoral process itself, in the places where they voted, their behaviour, and above all, the meaning given to the voting process. Therefore, the main objective of this detailed study is on the political activity of women from the twenties. Women have been the backbone in a process by which federal and local governments assumed greater responsibility for the welfare of their fellow citizens. The presence of women in Congress made possible a transformation of party politics in the XIX century to the policy based on interest groups and candidates that characterised both the XX and XXI centuries. Henceforth, the presence of women in American politics had already been noted in the twenties with women in the positions of state governors, city mayors and representatives of the various state legislatures. Quite often though, women have been involved in politics with the aim of promoting various causes, especially those related to family matters or to the health of the local community, putting it ahead of their own personal interests.