The Political Consequences of Motherhood PDF
Preview The Political Consequences of Motherhood
2RPP The Political Consequences of Motherhood From the early days of the republic to the present, American political parties and candidates have used motherhood to rally women’s interest, support, and participation, as have women themselves. From civically and politically engaged women linking their identity as mothers to their fight for prohibi- tion, public sanitation, and protective labor laws to the general call to arms of “mama grizzlies” issued by Sarah Palin in 2010, politicized motherhood persists, despite drastic changes in women’s rights and roles in the political world. Motherhood continues to inspire women’s participation and direct their concerns. Why has motherhood been such a powerful and persistent frame for female political participation? How accurate are the politicized im- ages of motherhood that pervade American politics? In The Political Consequences of Motherhood, Jill S. Greenlee investigates the complex relationship between motherhood and female political atti- tudes. She combines an historical overview of how motherhood has been used for political purposes with recent political opinion surveys and individual- level analysis exploring how and when motherhood shapes women’s thoughts and preferences. Using these complementary approaches, Greenlee argues that two mechanisms account for the durability of mother- hood politics. First, women experience attitudinal shifts when they become mothers. Second, “mother” is a broad-b ased identity, widely shared and ideologically unconstrained, that lends itself to appeals across the political spectrum to build support for candidates and policy issues. Jill S. Greenlee is Assistant Professor of Politics at Brandeis University. 2RPP 2RPP The Political Consequences of Motherhood Jill S. Greenlee The University of Michigan Press Ann Arbor 2RPP Copyright © by the University of Michigan 2014 All rights reserved This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publisher. Published in the United States of America by The University of Michigan Press Manufactured in the United States of America c Printed on acid- free paper 2017 2016 2015 2014 4 3 2 1 A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Greenlee, Jill S. The political consequences of motherhood / Jill Greenlee. pages cm. — (The CAWP series in gender and American politics) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978- 0- 472- 11929- 5 (hardback : alk. paper) — isbn 978- 0- 472- 12020- 8 (e- book) 1. Women—P olitical activity— United States. 2. Motherhood— Political aspects— United States. 3. Feminism— United States— History. I. Title. hq1236.5.u6g744 2014 306.874'3— dc23 2013049687 2RPP To my family, Ros, Ron, Brad, and Geoff Greenlee And to my love, Andrew Hall 2RPP 2RPP Contents Acknowledgments ix Chapter 1. Motherhood and Politics 1 Chapter 2. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle: 1920– 1976 11 Chapter 3. Soccer Moms, Hockey Moms, and Waitress Moms: 1980– 2008 74 Chapter 4. Distinctions: Political Perspectives of Mothers and Nonmothers 119 Chapter 5. The “Transformative” Effect of Motherhood 156 Chapter 6. Talking about Motherhood: Common Shifts in Political Thinking 171 Chapter 7. Reasons for Change: How Motherhood Alters Political Attitudes 194 Chapter 8. Consequences 210 Appendix 219 Notes 235 Bibliography 255 Index 279 2RPP 2RPP Acknowledgments Like many first books, this project began as a dissertation. As a result, I owe a great many people a debt of gratitude. This seems like a very good place to thank them. I am grateful to my teachers and mentors who inspired and challenged me during my undergraduate years at the University of Michigan and during graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley. Don Kinder, Judy Gruber, Jack Citrin, and Taeku Lee were all generous and encouraging in dif- ferent ways. In particular, I am thankful to have studied with Laura Stoker. She inspired me, as she has with so many other graduate students, to think carefully, write clearly, and work creatively to answer interesting and impor- tant questions. I am forever grateful for her sharp eye, red pen, and exuber- ant laughter. Over the years I have been blessed with friends who have been a constant source of encouragement. From Ann Arbor to DC to the Bay Area, their friend- ship has been invaluable: Ritu Tuteja, Adam Strayer, Dominick Argumedo, Carrie Langner, Kristin Bartus, Laura Hurst, Monica Bhatnager, Naomi Har- win, Jaimie Harper, Pace Lash, Jonathan Davies, and Karen Midkiff. While in graduate school, I was lucky enough to meet an amazing group of people, who continue to be dear friends and colleagues: Jocelyn Kiley, Megan Mullin, Naaz Barma, Erin Rowley, Jen Bussell, Rosie Hseuh, Libby Anker, Ed Fogarty, John Sides, and Kirsten Rodine- Hardy. In particular, I am grateful for Rachel VanSickle- Ward, Tatishe Nteta, and Kevin Wallsten, who are the very best friends, colleagues, and collaborators a person could wish for— and who read more drafts of this manuscript than they probably care to remember. At Brandeis University, I have been blessed with supportive colleagues, crucial financial resources, and terrific research assistants. I thank my col- leagues Steve Burg, Bernie Yack, and Jytte Klausen for their support and good counsel as I completed this book. Dan Kryder, in particular, has been a won- derful colleague, mentor, and friend. His feedback on this manuscript helped
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