The Political Consequences of Motherhood

Chapter 1. Motherhood and Politics

Chapter one Motherhood and Politics Being a parent changes everything and changes nothing at the same time. —lilly, massaChusetts On May 14, 2010, a primarily female audience gathered in Washington, DC, to listen to former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vicepresidential nominee, Sarah Palin, speak about the 2010 midterm elections. The group was the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), an organization devoted to electing pro-life women to public office. With several female pro-life Republican candidates running in high-profile races that year, the organization ’s members were excited about their prospects. Governor Palin, who was described by the SBA List president as the embodiment of the “modern personification of the authentic leadership modeled by early women’s rights trailblazers like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton,” electrified the audience with her enthusiastic assertion that female Republican candidates were going to win big (Good 2010). In that same speech, she also captured the national spotlight when she declared that a new political movement was afoot—a movement of moms. The movement that Palin described was one of conservative women, whom she dubbed “mama grizzlies,” rising up to take back America for their children. She warned political rivals not to mess with the mama bears: they will protect their young from “generational theft” no matter what. The audience cheered. Conservative commentators applauded. Palin’s words gave life to a new, heated conversation about the construction of female political power in the American electorate. She inserted a new label for women into the American political lexicon that tied their political concerns directly to their role as mothers. 2 the politiCal ConsequenCes of motherhood But Palin’s mama label was not really new. It was simply a remodeled version of an old tradition of rooting female political power in motherhood. The use of maternal identity as a justification of female political concern in the United States has spanned from the early days of the republic to the present . From civically and politically engaged women branding themselves as mothers in the fight for prohibition, public sanitation, and protective labor laws to Palin’s call to arms, politicized motherhood has a long lineage. Importantly , it has endured, despite drastic changes in women’s rights and roles in the political world. Motherhood has been—and continues to be—a powerful organizing agent in American politics. The puzzle guiding this book relates to the ostensible ubiquity of motherhood as a way of framing women’s participation in political life. Despite the evolution of women’s political power and social roles, motherhood remains a common way in which to appeal politically to women. Why is this? Is the emphasis on motherhood undertaken only by conservative political forces that seek to retain traditional gender roles and dynamics? Is the use of motherhood simply a holdover from a previous era when domestic roles were the most common roles available to women? Or, does motherhood remain persistent in American politics because it shapes women’s political beliefs , priorities, and attitudes? Does motherhood differentiate women from one another? Does it cause individuals to shift and adjust their political views? Simply put, does motherhood affect women’s political views, and if so—how? This book investigates the import of motherhood for women’s political engagement. A historical examination of how presidential candidates appealed to women reveals that motherhood has been a hook for reeling in female political support from 1920 to the present day. Though there has been variation in the degree to which political candidates employ the images and rhetoric of motherhood in their campaigns, the periods during which motherhood was most prominent were also the most dissimilar with regard to women’s rights and roles. Maternally laden appeals to women were most prevalent in the 1920s and in the post–1980 era. In short, as women’s roles diversified, there was a resurgence of appeals to women based on their role as mothers. This is because motherhood remains the most normative and valued role that women adopt, and it is a role that women, regardless of how they construct their lives, must negotiate. As a result, the Democratic and Republican parties have resurrected a focus on motherhood as a way drawing in female support. Motherhood and Politics 3 Given the pervasive nature of motherhood appeals in presidential politics , it is important to take seriously the question of whether motherhood shapes women’s political attitudes independent from...