This collection examines the ways in which women have used political rhetoric and political discourse to provide leadership, or assert their right to leadership, at the national level. While over the years women have broken through traditional roles, they are still underrepresented in political leadership. In this text, scholars consider the various factors that continue to restrict political leadership opportunities for women as well as some of the ways in which individual women have strategically sought to enact political power and leadership for themselves. The contributors analyze various case studies of leadership positions at the national level, looking at women who have run, been nominated to run, or appointed to national positions. The interdisciplinary approach lends itself to: rhetoric; political rhetoric; political discourse; leadership studies; women’s studies; gender issues; satire; pop culture.

Contributions by: Diane M. Blair, Kenneth Campbell, William Carney, Maria Daxenbichler, Kristie Fleckenstein, Rachel B. Friedman, Rochelle Gregory, Sara Hillin, Janet Johnson, Nichelle D. McNabb, Nancy Myers, Alison Novak, Rebecca S. Richards, Mary Tucker-McLaughlin