The New Face of American Politics
O
ne of the most astute observers and inquisitive researchers in American politics today is Melissa Deckman, the Louis L. Goldstein Professor of
Public Affairs and chair of Washington College’s Department of Political Science. She’s presently on sabbatical researching a new book on how Gen Z, particularly Gen Z women, is changing the political landscape. With the presidential election only 9 months away, we thought it would be timely to ask her when a woman might be elected president, and what she is learning about the upcoming generation of young women. By Wendy Mitman Clarke M’16
In 2016, you wrote an essay for WCM about why the nomination of Hillary Clinton mattered. Among other reasons, you said it would inspire the next generation of young women, and also potentially encourage more women to run for political office because it would help dispel the notion that women can’t succeed in the highest realms of the political arena. Then, she lost the election. Do you still think that message holds true? Or are more young people and women running for office as a response to her failure and the election of Donald Trump?
In mid-January The New York Times co-endorsed Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren for the 2020 Democratic nomination. What do you make of that?
That’s a good question; in fact, I’ve been doing some work with focus groups with young Americans to uncover the answer to that question. What I’m finding is that the surge in women running for office and in young women’s activism is really a response to the election of Donald Trump. His record on women’s issues, his past treatment of women, his misogynistic language, and his conservative policies don’t appeal to a lot of women, especially younger women. Some of my research into Gen Z Americans has shown that it’s progressive women who are most engaged in politics now. It’s really Trump’s rise, his policies, and his behavior that have motivated women to become more involved in politics.
There is the notion that a woman can’t beat the Republican incumbent, Donald Trump, in this nation’s current polarized political climate, that it’s too risky to nominate a woman. Do you think that notion has currency?
I have mixed opinions about that. The job of an editorial board is to endorse one person, so the split is a bit odd. At the same time, I think it’s a positive development that The New York Times endorsed two female candidates in what is still a crowded field. The paper did endorse Hillary Clinton in 2016, so it’s not a new phenomenon that it’s endorsing women.
The sad part to me is that this conversation is still happening. That Trump cannot be beaten by a woman is somewhat ludicrous. Now, it might be that he won’t be beaten by Elizabeth Warren, but it won’t be because she’s a female. Her position on some issues, such as Medicare for All, perhaps may not resonate with more moderate voters in certain states. The reality, too, is that you have to take the Electoral College into
SPRING 2020
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