This course unpacks the important role of gender in politics. Structured in two parts, in the first half of the quarter we will situate the study of gender and politics within the broader study of identity politics and set out to understand the different political implications of gender at the intersection of other identities (like race, class, sexual orientation, religion, and partisanship). In the second half of the quarter, we will cover a range of key substantive topics in gender politics from both institutional and behavioral angles, including gender in relation to the state, electoral politics, representation, stereotyping and discrimination, and political mobilization. We will dig into questions like: how do we define and measure identity - particularly gender and sex - in the study of public opinion? How do gender gaps in political attitudes and behavior vary across racial groups and class status? Does sharing a common gender identity influence the relationship between Democratic and Republican women? What is the role of race, gender, and factors like having a traditional household profile in the evaluation of candidates and how do these factors influence decisions to run for office or other forms of political engagement? Does the incorporation of women into legislatures influence state welfare policy? Throughout the course, we will read and discuss scholarly work from a range of academic disciplines and be exposed to and evaluate a variety of empirical research designs and methods to answer these questions and more. Although this course has a heavy emphasis on gender in American politics, we will also occasionally cover research on gender and politics through a comparative lens. Prior coursework in Statistics or Economics is strongly recommended.
5 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit
This course unpacks the important role of gender in politics. Structured in two parts, in the first half of the quarter we will situate the study of gender and politics within the broader study of identity politics and set out to understand the different political implications of gender at the intersection of other identities (like race, class, sexual orientation, religion, and partisanship). In the second half of the quarter, we will cover a range of key substantive topics in gender politics from both institutional and behavioral angles, including gender in relation to the state, electoral politics, representation, stereotyping and discrimination, and political mobilization. We will dig into questions like: how do we define and measure identity - particularly gender and sex - in the study of public opinion? How do gender gaps in political attitudes and behavior vary across racial groups and class status? Does sharing a common gender identity influence the relationship between Democratic and Republican women? What is the role of race, gender, and factors like having a traditional household profile in the evaluation of candidates and how do these factors influence decisions to run for office or other forms of political engagement? Does the incorporation of women into legislatures influence state welfare policy? Throughout the course, we will read and discuss scholarly work from a range of academic disciplines and be exposed to and evaluate a variety of empirical research designs and methods to answer these questions and more. Although this course has a heavy emphasis on gender in American politics, we will also occasionally cover research on gender and politics through a comparative lens. Prior coursework in Statistics or Economics is strongly recommended.
Offered in Winter 2026 at Stanford University.