Social Studies Lab

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Gender in Congress

Jonathan Milner

AP US Government and Politics

How many countries have a higher percentage of females in their legislature than the U.S.?

AP US Government and Politics Lessons

  1. How accurate was your prediction?

  2. What most surprised you about this data?

  3. Which country that had a higher % of female legislators than the U.S. most surprised you?

  4. What explains the fact that almost 100 countries have a higher % of female legislators than the U.S.?

  5. What is a consequence of the U.S. having such a relatively low % of female legislators?

  6. What is one policy that would probably be different if the U.S. was a country with one of the highest % of female legislators in the world?

  7. What is one specific U.S. policy that is mostly a consequence of the fact that we have a Congress that is 81% male?

  8. List at least three countries that you are pretty sure are lower than the U.S. in the % of female legislators:

  9. Explain whether you believe most Americans know that 19% of U.S. legislators are female?

  10. How do you think this information has changed over the past half century and will change over the next half century?

  11. Is there any connection between this data and the results of the 2016 presidential election?

  12. How much of a role do you think gender played in the 2016 presidential election?

  13. How do you think your own gender influences your opinion of this issue and this data?

  14. Without looking it up, can you name two female legislators in the U.S. House or Senate?

  15. Why do you think it's harder for women to win election than men?

  16. Explain whether, overall, this good news or bad news:

  17. Explain which party you think has a higher % of female legislators.*

Learning Extension

Read this interesting report from Fortune Magazine about the 2016 election results for women.

Action Extension

Unless you feel that 19% of Congress being female is too high a number, use this handy dandy little form from She Should Run to ask a woman to run for office or nominate yourself (if you are female) to run. Share your story with class or on social media.

Bonus Charts*

Fortune

114th Congress