The Exclusion and Inclusion of Women in American Government Textbooks

Abstract

Women have long been political actors, even when their activism could only take place outside of the mainstream political sphere. Yet, in American government and politics textbooks written for introductory university-level courses, women’s political experiences are deemphasized at best, overlooked at worst. Women are largely excluded from the main narratives of these textbooks, sending the message that it is men who engage in politics while wome ’s experiences are only marginal. In offering so few references to wome ’s political experiences, these textbooks are providing students with an incomplete picture of the reality of American politics, both historically and in the present day.