ABSTRACT
"Gender" is a term that describes both men and women, yet books on gender and American political life often read as though gender were a synonym for women. In this volume we address the roles and behaviors of both men and women in political decision making, political institutions, and public policy. We provide an overview of current empirical research on the contours of what is popularly known as the "gender gap": the difference between men and women in voting behavior, political leadership, and political beliefs and commitments. We also look at the role that gender plays in American political institutions by examining gender, men, and women in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. And we examine the importance of gendered institutions and assumptions in the making of public policy. Overall, then, the essays in this volume look at gender comparatively—that is, comparing men and women—and focus on the differences in men's and women's roles in various aspects of political life and on the way that gender affects them.
