Women Voters

Archive Report

Women and politics in 1972 election

Political Impact of Women's Liberation Movement

The 1972 Presidential election will be the 14th in which American women have voted. The old anti-suffrage cliches—that when women first voted in 1920 they helped elect Warren G. Harding, a handsome but inept President, that the ladies are unable to grasp the deeper political issues and vote frivolously, if at all, or else mark their ballots as their husbands or fathers instruct—are seldom heard and rarely applauded. This year increased numbers of women have girded for political action, demanded a voice in party platforms, campaigned for candidates who support their programs, and run for office themselves.

The politicization of women is one consequence of the women's liberation movement. More than a year ago, Betty ...

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