NAS Lecture Series - Women, Power, and the Presidential Elections

Just four years ago, the election of the first “Madam President” seemed immi-nent: six women, the highest number ever, competed in the Democratic primaries. Though none of them clinched the nomination, Joe Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as his Vice President suggested that a woman would rather sooner than later move into the Oval Office. But no. Why has it historically been so difficult for women to rise to the highest office? Which factors played into preventing a woman candidate in 2020, and Biden stepping aside for Harris or another female Democrat in 2024?