GSPM News

Women and Politics: What is your Next Step?

Nancy Bocskor, Adjunct Professor at the Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University.

The statistics are clear:  women make up less than 17% of the U.S. Congress yet 51% of the population.  As The White House Project Founder, Marie Wilson, said many years ago, “Add women, change everything.”

Studies abound about why women choose to not run for office:  family responsibilities, the rough-and-tumble process of politics, not feeling qualified.  As I like to tell students, men wake up and declare, “I’m running for President.”  Women wake up asking, “Am I smart enough and good enough?”  In fact, the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers has research showing that women have to be asked seven times before they consider a race.

I’ve spent much of my political career teaching women the nuts-and-bolts of running for office, both in the U.S. and internationally.  A major challenge I continue to see is the lack of role models:  if you’ve never met a women elected official, how to learn how to be one?

AAUW’s National Conference for College Women Student Leaders is a wonderful opportunity to hear from women, like Lilly Ledbetter and Mayda del Valle, who have been proactive in engaging and empowering women, and to network with young leaders, like yourself. The practical leadership skills you will learn during your time at NCCWSL are fundamental to a career in politics.

My work as an adjunct professor at GW’s Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) also involves educating students in the practical skills necessary for a career in the political arena. As the pioneer school in the nonpartisan study of political management and applied politics, the GSPM is committed to providing a real-world understanding of how politics works. The 25 year-old school offers master’s degrees in Political Management, Legislative Affairs and Strategic Public Relations.  Our strong Washington, D.C. connections mean our students learn not only in the classroom but in campaign offices, legislative suites, lobbying shops, and news bureaus that shape politics both here and abroad.

If you are interested in learning more about how GSPM can assist you in taking that next step into a career in politics please visit our booth at the Graduate School Fair on Friday, June 1. 

GW to Cross 250,000 Alumni Milestone at May 2012 Commencement

Video + Infographic Feature Alumni Community Highlights

This May’s GW Commencement will mark a milestone in the lives of the class of 2012, and for the university at large. May 20, 2012 will mark the first time that the university community includes more than a quarter million living alumni.

As the video and infographic that accompany this story illustrate, it is not just the quantity of alumni – 250,000+ – but the quality and interconnectedness of this community that makes GW such a dynamic institution.

Glenn Geelhoed, SMHS Res. ’75, ESIA MA ’91, SMHS MPH ’93, CCAS MA ’95, CCAS MPhil ’02, GSEHD EdD ’09, is the only  alum to have have earned six degrees from GW and one of only two individuals to hold five or more GW degrees.

“I think learning and life are pretty much synonymous,” said Dr. Geelhoed, a professor of surgery and international medical education at GW. “I don’t want to be in a position where I say ‘ok, I’ve got that down, I don’t need to learn anything more on that subject.’”

Dr. Geelhoed is joined in the five-or-more-degrees club by George McCullars, CCAS MS ’71, CCAS MPhil ’74, SMHS MD ’75, CCAS PhD ’76, SMHS Res. ’77.

Dr. McCullars, who is now in private practice in Mobile, Ala., reveled in the opportunity to interact with leading GW faculty as a student. Among his faculty mentors were Nobel Prize winner Julius Axelrod, CCAS PhD ’55, NIH investigator William Jacoby, Chairman of Neurology Sean O’Reilly, and Chairman of Biochemistry Carleton Treadwell.

“It was worth all the effort…I didn’t do this for the earning capacity, I did it for the learning experience afforded me at GW,” recalled Dr. McCullars. “Every single day was exciting.”

As it turns out these two prolific learners have a personal connection – as a GW medical student Dr. McCullars’ professor of surgery was none other than Dr. Geelhoed. “To know Dr. Geelhoed is to understand academic excellence at GW,” Dr. McCullars added.

Dr. Geelhoed and Dr. McCullars are among a select group of approximately 100 GW alumni who have earned four or more degrees from the university.

Get a printable version of the infographic in PDF here.

POLITICO-George Washington University Battleground Poll: Romney Polls Even with Obama

WASHINGTON – Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama are essentially tied among voters at 48 percent and 47 percent respectively, according to a new POLITICO-George Washington University Battleground Poll released today.

“With the closing of the Republican nomination race, Mitt Romney has solidified his base in this Battleground Poll,” said Christopher Arterton, GW professor of political management.  “But, whether this is a ‘halo effect’ from that victory or a durable trend remains to be seen.”

In this latest POLITCIO-George Washington University Battleground Poll, Romney is winning Republicans by 88 percent, a larger margin than Obama is winning Democrats by 83 percent. Romney also is winning with independents by 10 points.

“Illustrated in this data is that the primary is over and the Republicans are clearly ready to support their nominee in making Obama a one-term president,” said Ed Goeas, Republican pollster and of The Tarrance Group. 

Meanwhile, President Obama has a 70 percent approval rating when voters were asked how they feel about him as a person, far stronger than his overall job approval.  When voters are asked about the job he is doing as president, responses are tied at 48 percent approving and disapproving.  When voters compare both candidates on their ability to handle specific issues, however, President Obama holds a significant lead on standing up for the middle class with 58 percent saying he would better handle this issue compared to 35 percent for Romney.  Obama is also favored on foreign policy issues (51 percent to 38 percent); on sharing your values (50 percent to 40 percent) and narrowly on taxes (51 percent to 45 percent).   

“Besides his dominant position on personal favorability, Obama has a wealth of opportunities on issue comparisons where he leads on standing up for the middle class, taxes, foreign policy and shares your values,” said Celinda Lake, Democratic pollster and president of Lake Research Partners. “He needs to translate his advantage on being for the middle class to a clear economic vision and contrast which will put him ahead on the economy and jobs to ensure victory in this election.”

Although a gender gap still exists, Romney has narrowed the gap. Obama leads among women by seven percentage points, while Romney leads among men by seven percentage points. Women over 45 lean towards Romney instead of Obama 50 percent to 45 percent. White women favor Romney over Obama 57 percent to 38 percent. Women of color and unmarried women overwhelmingly favor Obama.

The American public continues to view the economy (28 percent), government spending and the deficit (17 percent) and jobs (14 percent) as the most important issues for Congress to focus on. When voters are asked which presidential candidate they think will be better at handling the economy and handling jobs, Romney is slightly favored at handling the economy with 48 percent to Obama’s 45 percent, while Obama is seen as better at handling jobs with 48 percent to Romney’s 46 percent.

Further analyses of these issues and full results of the latest poll can be found at www.gwu.edu and POLITICO.com.

The POLITICO-George Washington University Battleground Poll is a nationally recognized, series of surveys conducted by Republican pollster Ed Goeas of The Tarrance Group and Democratic pollster Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners. The George Washington University Global Media Institute, affiliated with the Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) and the School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA), serves as the university’s home for the partnership. George Washington’s Gelman Library houses the data archive of the survey results dating back more than two decades. The poll, which is distinguished from other surveys by its presentation of separate analyses from these top pollsters representing both sides of the aisle, surveyed 1,000 registered likely voters nationwide April 29 through May 3, 2012 including a protocol for reaching mobile phone users, and yields a margin of error of + 3.1 percent.       

As the country shifts its focus to the 2012 elections, the POLITICO-George Washington University Battleground Poll results will be a valuable tool in anticipating the outcome and gauging voter attitudes and concerns.

Christopher Arterton, professor of political management at GW; Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners; and Ed Goeas, President/CEO of The Tarrance Group; are all available for comment.  For Professor Arterton, contact Angela Olson at 202-994-3087.  For Ms. Lake, contact Anderson Gardner at Lake Research Partners, 202-776-9066.  For Mr. Goeas, contact Brian Nienaber at The Tarrance Group, 703-684-6688.

Democratic Analysis

Republican Analysis

Questionnaire and Results

Charts and Graphs