We all heard about Obama’s recent faux pas with California attorney general Kamala Harris, him describing her as “by far the best-looking attorney general in the country.” Some of us were turned off, others didn’t think it was such a big deal. Amongst all these opinions, is there actual evidence that telling a female politician how good she looks is bad for her career?  Yes, there is! A recent survey done by the ... Read More

I never thought I’d have to say this, but … does President Obama need to borrow one of Mitt Romney’s binders full of women? Recent appointments for Obama’s second-term cabinet shows a staggering lack of diversity. A now infamous photograph showing the President with his senior advisors – a room full of white men, lounging around in their best business casual – could just as well be a photo of poker night ... Read More

A study at Northwestern University looks at the way we judge politicians to help explain the gender gap in politics. The study denies that people rationally consider candidates, and instead states, “research indicates that people use shallow decision heuristics, such as impressions of competence made solely from facial appearance when deciding whom to vote for.”  73 students (38 women and 35 men) looked at facial photos of ... Read More

Looks like the Senate bathrooms might need a makeover. Newly reelected Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar recently spoke about one consequence of having a record number of women senators: a line in the bathroom. “For the first time, we had a traffic jam in the women’s senator’s bathroom,” she said. “There were five women in there. There’s only two stalls! And I’m not going to say who — that ... Read More

The election is over, and there are plenty of reasons to celebrate! Besides the re-election of President Barack Obama and “America’s happy warrior” Vice President Joe Biden, this election saw the legalization of gay marriage in Maine and Maryland, the legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado, and more women elected to the Senate than ever before.  I hope you spent last night cheering and hugging random ... Read More

Fifty Percent.  50%.  Half.  I hope it’s not news that women comprise fifty percent of our country- and of course our world’s- population.  This very simple fact, one should hope, would translate into the equal distribution of power.  However, this is not the case and I find it ceaselessly perplexing.  The government remains an elite and exclusive club inundated with (white) men.  Why are women ... Read More

Mary Gonzalez won the El Paso, Texas, primary in May and since she ran uncontested, she will become the representative for her district.  However, she also last week received the title of being the first open “pansexual” to take office.  Rather than focusing on her ideals, politics, or pledges, her pansexuality- in conservative Texas of all places- is placing Gonzalez in the limelight, raising a lot of eyebrows, and sure, cowboy ... Read More

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is credited with the famous quote, “Well-behaved women seldom make history,” which is a phrase that has since become a slogan of just about everyone and their grandma. (There’s even a coffee mug floating around the BUST office with the quote.) But at 92nd Street Y’s recent talk on Women in Politics moderator Alison Stewart, host of PBS’s Need to Know, asked authors Nora Ephron and Rebecca ... Read More

A mailer went out to Tampa, Florida residents stating that mayoral candidate, Rose Ferlita, is unfit for office. Why? Well, for starters, she’s single.The mailer makes claims on her personal reasons for remaining unmarried, stating that it’s because she’s made her political ambitions (note that they don’t say career) a priority. Her single status also prompts the mailer to state she has “suspect family ... Read More