See Jane Run for president and then see girls become political

A study published in the current issue of The Journal of Politics asks if the presence of female politicians inspires political interest and activism in young women. The authors find that it does. The more that women politicians are made visible in the media by national news coverage, the more likely young women are to indicate an intention to be politically active. The authors also find that the adolescents' interest is also heightened by viable female candidates campaigning for high-profile offices. It is not a matter of the number of women holding or running for office, but their visibility. "A highly visible woman politician in the future-- perhaps even as the top of a major party presidential ticket-- has the potential to generate significant interest in political activity," the authors state.