Why have more than eighty-five countries already had female prime ministers or presidents but the United States has not? This International Women’s Day, Møller Institute Visiting Leadership Scholar — Professor Paula Monopoli discusses her theory that design choices by the Founders made it less likely that a woman would ascend to the presidency.
So why have more than eighty-five countries already had female prime ministers or presidents but the United States has not? Why are we so slow? My theory is that design choices by the Founders made it less likely that a woman would ascend to the presidency. These include the choice of a singular or unitary executive that combines the head of state, head of government and commander-in-chief function all in one person.
The impact of that choice can be amplified by executive activism and the power of the courts via judicial review to define the scope of the executive as more or less expansive. With the failure of the first viable female candidate to ascend to the presidency just a year behind us, it’s useful to consider these design choices and how they construct our politics.
Paula Monopoli is a Møller Institute Leadership Scholar and the Sol & Carlyn Hubert Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law where she founded the Women, Leadership & Equality Program in 2004.
