Premium
THE WOMEN OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE ‐ THROUGH THE EYES OF JOURNALISTS
Author(s) -
Gilmour Terry
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
southeastern political review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1747-1346
pISSN - 0730-2177
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-1346.2000.tb00116.x
Subject(s) - legislature , politics , newspaper , lawmaking , political science , state (computer science) , face (sociological concept) , public administration , law , sociology , social science , algorithm , computer science
The Texas Almanac says it best: “Politics in Texas can be deadly serious or silly. The candidates can be statesmen or clowns. But one thing is for certain, politics in Texas are full of drama and they are rarely boring.” Today, we are interested in the role that women have played in the lawmaking process. The political integration of women into the political arena road has been long and arduous. However, important developments have taken place, and women are no longer considered an oddity in the Texas Legislature. There are several ways to study the accomplishments of women in elected office. Certainly, there are survey instruments or face‐to‐face interviews that provide valuable information. One can review the actual achievements of women in the legislative process by reviewing their records in office in terms of laws actually passed or submitted. However, this analysis reviews the progress of women as revealed by the press throughout their tenure in the Texas legislature. It begins by setting the stage for women in the political arena in Texas and reviews some of the historical information that has been gathered on the entry of women into politics. Then it analyzes reports by the major newspapers around the state of Texas as they have reported on women serving in the legislature.