BASED ON AN ADDRESS DELIVERED AT 11TH ANNUAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE OF THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE PRESIDENCY, OTTAWA, CANADA, OCT. 81, 1980. THE AUTHOR, A FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA, CONTRASTS THE POWERS OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. HE REGARDS THE POWER OF THE PM AS EXCESSIVE, ASSERTING THAT PARLIAMENTARY ACCOUNTABILITY HAS BROKEN DOWN IN CANADA.
Since the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, women's representation in public offices has grown, although women are still greatly underrepresented in most states & in the national government. The number of women in Congress currently is the highest ever. Women constitute 18% of the state legislatures, 17% of state executives, 9% of county governing boards, & 14% of mayors & city councils. The proportion of women in Congress is about 50% the average for national legislative bodies throughout the world. It is suggested that women's underrepresentation in politics can be explained by political culture, socialization, role conflict, discrimination, & the political structure itself. Current trends, however, are favorable to the continued gradual increase in the number of women in public office. 3 Tables. Adapted from the source document.
ALL POLITICAL PHILOSOPHERS DO NOT AGREE ON THE PROPER DEFINITION OF DEMOCRACY, BUT FOUR CRITERIA HAVE BEEN ADDUCED AS THE MEASURES OF A TRULY DEMOCRATIC REGIME: POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY, POLITICAL EQUALITY, POPULAR CONSULTATION, AND MAJORITY RULE.2 ALL GOVERNMENTS CAN BE JUDGED ON THEIR RELATIVE AMOUNTS OF EACH OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS. USING THESE STANDARDS, AS LONG AS ANY GROUPING IN A SOCIETY IS DENIED EQUAL PARTICIPATION AND REPRESENTATION, THAT SOCIETY FAILS TO MEASURE UP AS A DEMOCRACY. CLEARLY, THE UNDERREPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN POLITICAL OFFICE IN THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER NATIONS AS WELL CALLS INTO QUESTION THE VERY BASIS OF THEIR CLAIMS TO BE DEMOCRATIC REGIMES. WOMEN FOUGHT HARD TO ACHIEVE THE VERY FOUNDATION OF PARTICIPATION, THE RIGHT TO VOTE. NOW MORE THAN 60 YEARS FOLLOWING THE GRANT OF FEMALE SUFFRAGE, THEY REMAIN DISTINCTLY A MINORITY IN THE HALLS OF GOVERNMENT, BEING ONLY 2 PERCENT OF THE U.S. SENATE, 4 PERCENT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 14 PERCENT OF STATE LEGISLATURES, AND 20 PERCENT OF CITY COUNCILS IN LARGE URBAN AREAS.3 FOLLOWING THE ADVENT OF THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT IN THE 1960S AND 1970S, ACTIVISTS AND SCHOLARS ALIKE HAVE DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN THE CAUSES OF THE LOW LEVELS OF FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. SEVERAL EXPLANATIONS HAVE BEEN OFFERED AND MANY STUDIES HAVE LOOKED AT THE IMPACT OF SUCH FACTORS AS SEX-ROLE SPECIALIZATION, SOCIALIZATION, THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHILD BEARING AND REARING, THE LOW LEVEL OF POLITIPY: 1984
