Gender and Sustaining Political Ambition: a Study of Arizona Elected Officials

Abstract

E xtant literature and data indicate that there are many differences and few similarities between men and women who express comparable levels of political ambition. By studying male political elites, researchers have constructed a model of political ambition which predicts that women who deviate from the male model cannot be ambitious or successful. Yet, we know that women are ambitious and do hold political office. Some set of circumstances must exist that explains their ambition, and we suggest it is their attitudes and beliefs about the political and electoral system that sustains their ambition. In this exploratory case study of Arizona elected officials we seek to advance our knowledge about gender differences in sustaining political ambition. To achieve this objective we first examine how gender relates to sociopolitical status and political opportunity explanations of political ambition. Second, we explore gender differences in beliefs about barriers to electoral success and identify how these officials think electoral success occurs. Finally, we provide an explanation for why women sustain political ambition even though the prevailing malebased explanatory model suggests they will not be ambitious or successful.