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The hypotheses that the political ambitions of women more than of men, & of Democrats more than of Republicans, are related to socialization experiences is supported for the Democratic & Republican women but not for the men, based on questionnaire survey data from local party officials (total N = 228 Rs). Patterns of socialization are found to vary by party & sex, although all activists are influenced by socialization across the life cycle; & all the ambitious are in earlier stages of the life cycle than the unambitious. The concept of countersocialization is introduced to explain the development of ambitious political women. Countersocialization & politicization around gender-related issues in politics are not expected to restructure political conflict along a sex-based cleavage of the political elite. Rather, the political party context will determine which ambitious women & men gain office & carry their concerns into the decision-making arenas. 2 Tables, 2 Appendixes. Modified HA

ARTICLE, BY EMPLOYING VOTING SIMULATIONS IN A SURVEY OF PARTY ACTIVISTS, EXAMINES RESPONSES TO A WOMAN'S CLAIM TO PARTY OFFICE ON THE BASIS OF HER SEX. THE DEGREE OF ACCEPTANCE OF THIS CLAIM - THE WILLINGNESS TO GRANT SOCIAL REPRESENTATION - IS CONTRASTED WITH THE RESPONDENTS' INCLINATION TO SELECT CANDIDATES FAVORABLE TO WOMEN'S RIGHTS, OR WHAT IS CALLED THE GRANTING OF OPINION REPRESENTATION.

This article, by employing voting simulations in a survey of party activists, examines responses to a woman's claim to party office on the basis of her sex. The degree of acceptance of this claim or the willingness to grant what is called social representation, is contrasted with the respondents' inclinations to select candidates favorable to women's rights, or the willingness to grant what is called opinion representation. Variations in responses to the two simulations are analyzed in terms of attitudes toward gender roles, government intervention and the legitimacy of groups in the political process. Voting in the simulation involving opinion representation can best be understood in terms of the respondent's attitude toward government intervention, while the simulation involving social representation activates the attitude toward groups. Discussion of the findings focuses on the dilemma of group claims for minority representation in a liberal democratic context and the need for better understanding of attitudes toward groups among political elites.