Five Questions with David E. Campbell and Christina Wolbrecht, coauthors of “See Jane Run: How Women Politicians Matter for Young People”
Ahead of the 2024 Presidential Election, today’s politics reflect one of the most polarized ideological landscapes in US history and, as a result, America’s democratic identity is increasingly fractured. So how then do young citizens relate to and find hope within such a divided system?
From Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris to Nikki Haley, women in public life are widely expected to inspire young people—especially girls—to follow in their footsteps. In See Jane Run, David E. Campbell and Christina Wolbrecht provide the definitive analysis of women politicians as role models. With wide-ranging data and attention to gender, race, and party, David E. Campbell and Christina Wolbrecht find that women in politics help convince young people—regardless of gender—that women are capable of political leadership, enhance faith in democracy, and inspire political engagement.
Read on for a Q&A with David and Christina about their timely work and what it tells us about how women politicians can help ensure a more inclusive democracy.
Does it matter if more women run for political office?
Yes! When women run, they are role models for young people. Teenage girls become more politically engaged and many even see themselves running for office one day. Girls also see American democracy as more inclusive and responsive. Girls and boys alike also become more likely to accept women as leaders but the effects of women candidates aren’t limited to the teenage years. Young people who grow up in a community where women run for office are more likely to be politically engaged as adults.
How do politicians of color like Kamala Harris, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib inspire young people to be politically involved?
We have been working on the question of women as role models for many years, but have long wondered about women of color specifically. Do they inspire girls of color to a greater extent than white women candidates? How do white teens react when women of color run for office? Indeed, when we give presentations on our research, this is nearly always a question from the audience. Regrettably, data limitations prevented us from being able to answer the question. For See Jane Run, however, the data we needed was collected. Now we have the answer.
We find that women of color are especially effective role models. They motivate teenage girls of color to be more politically active–including sparking an interest in serving in office one day. But they are not only role models for girls of color as we found that they also increase the political interest of white adolescent girls.
How do boys react when women run for office?
For boys, there is both good news and bad news. The bad news is that, in the short term, while Republican-leaning boys become more politically engaged, it is not because they see women as role models. Rather than being inspired by women politicians, Republican boys seem to view them as a threat. The good news is the long term. As more women run for office, those same Republican boys become more willing to believe that women have the capacity to be leaders and generally have less sexist views.
What are the effects of Republican women running for office? Is it only Democratic women who are political role models?
Republican women candidates are role models too. Specifically, when Republican teenage girls see fellow Republican women politicians on the campaign trail, they become more politically engaged. However, since most women politicians are Democrats, Republican girls lag behind their Democratic counterparts in political activity.
What do you hope is the biggest takeaway for your book, especially going into the Election?
As we were writing See Jane Run, we did not know that the nation would see a woman of color as a presidential candidate in 2024. But our book speaks to the moment. Our results show that women candidates are role models–and women of color even more so. Win or lose, simply by running for the nation’s highest office, Kamala Harris is inspiring young people to be politically engaged, strengthening their belief in American democracy, and changing their views about women as leaders–effects that will last long into the future.
David E. Campbell is the Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy at the University of Notre Dame. His research explains how, when, and why people get involved in politics. His previous books include Secular Surge, Seeking the Promised Land, and American Grace. His research has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal, among other outlets.
Christina Wolbrecht is professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, where she teaches and writes about women/gender, political parties, and political development. She is the author or coauthor of A Century of Votes for Women, Counting Women’s Ballots, and The Politics of Women’s Rights. She has contributed expertise to outlets such as Newsweek, Washington Post, and Slate.com.
See Jane Run is available for preorder now from our website. Use the code UCPNEW at checkout for 30% off.