The Modern First Lady and Public Policy: From Edith Wilson through Hillary Rodham Clinton

Abstract

Just as twentieth century gave rise to a new type of president, it also gave rise to a new, more politically engaged First Lady. If progressivism, World War I, and rise of new media helped inspire the Imperial Presidency, then suffrage campaigns, eco nomic crises, and a contested vision of democracy challenged many First Ladies to redefine their roles. No longer content to stand outside realm of policy and have their observations and skills discounted, most twentieth-century First Ladies entered president's political inner circle and increasingly advocated for images, policies, and staff they thought best served president. Indeed, of eighteen women who served nation during twentieth century, only five (Grace Coolidge, Bess Truman, Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Patricia Nixon) remained outside president's political circle.