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Articles by Alissa Shaw
Women experts in democracy must be at the table
Shaw is the outreach manager for RepresentWomen. We have more women serving as elected officials in the United States than ever before, which is a noteworthy achievement. Getting more women into politics, though, is only the first step. Simply having more women in these spaces does not always mean we’re being welcomed with open arms. Since women are still underrepresented in most political spaces, we have to navigate them carefully, strategically and oftentimes alone.
Ranked-Choice Voting in This Year's Elections Brought Historic Wins for Women
As of this month, have adopted ranked-choice voting (RCV)—also known as instant runoff voting, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. (Ballots that do not help voters’ top choices win, count for their next choice.) During this month’s elections, 11 of these RCV cities across six states held elections, and RCV has proven once again to yield positive outcomes for women.
How Women Win Elections
Since the November midterm elections, we’ve already been reminded on at least two separate occasions of the ways ranked choice voting could solve issues born out of political polarization. From the costliest election of 2022 – the Georgia runoff election – to the time-consuming election for Speaker of the House of Representatives (requiring the most rounds of voting since 1859), the need for reforms like ranked choice voting is glaringly obvious.
The Reality of Running for Governor as a Woman
Nine. Just nine women currently serve as governor in the United States—a “record” first set in 2004 and achieved two additional times, but yet to be broken. In over 200 years that this nation has existed, only 45 women total have been elected as governors—constituting less than 2 percent of all governors that have ever served. Governors play a critical role in creating policies and implementing long-lasting changes at the state level.
Women Saving Democracy: An Attorneys General Explainer
State attorneys general are touted as the “people’s lawyers”—yet the majority are white and male. With a nation as large as the United States, there’s a plethora of governmental positions to fulfill the various responsibilities necessary to keep the country going. Ever since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June, the national gaze has shifted towards state-level leadership. But who are the key players at the state-level?
Women Saving Democracy: A Secretaries of State Explainer
With a nation as large as the United States, we have developed a multitude of governmental positions to fulfill the various responsibilities necessary to keep the country going. Ever since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June, the national gaze has shifted towards state-level leadership. But who is pulling the levers of power in states? While the vast majority know about roles at the federal level, less understand who is behind operations at the state level.
Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: Black Women Win Big at the Emmys; U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Officially Scores Equal Pay
Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world—with a little gardening and goodwill mixed in for refreshment! From sports, to TV, to government, this week was chock full of updates on women’s representation.
The Inflation Reduction Act: A Victory of Pragmatism Over Ideology
The recent congressional passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) once again proves the wisdom of favoring pragmatism over ideology. As The New York Times opined on 7 August after the Senate had passed the legislation, it reflected “the most significant federal investment in history to counter climate change and lower the cost of prescription drugs.” Often I have written on LA Progressive about the dangers of being too ideological and of the need for pragmatic compromises.
LA Times: Wrong on CARE Court, Wrong Again on ACLU
Earlier in August, the Los Angeles Times published a wrong-headed column titled “These families are flaming the ACLU as California debates mental health care.” To buttress that sweeping indictment, the Times shows five senior women and one younger fellow—all White—holding signs such as “ACLU, What’s “Civil” About Dying on the Street?” That’s certainly a legitimate question—but one that’s clearly misdirected when aimed at the ACLU and one that obscures the damage Gov.
Protecting Voting Rights Act's 57-Year Legacy
Voting. It’s one of the most essential foundations of democracy. The right of the people to vote on who represents them in government was vehemently fought for in the American Revolution by those who founded the United States centuries ago. Of course, the founders excluded large numbers of people from this new democratic dream, including women, slaves, Indigenous people and those without property or who didn’t pay taxes. Only an estimated 10-20% of the American population was eligible to vote.
Keep History Alive: Protecting the 57 Year Legacy of the Voting Rights Act
Voting. It’s one of the most essential foundations of democracy. The right of the people to vote on who represents them in government was vehemently fought for in the American Revolution by those who founded the United States centuries ago. Of course, the founders excluded large numbers of people from this new democratic dream, including women, slaves, Indigenous people and those without property or who didn’t pay taxes. Only an estimated 10-20% of the American population was eligible to vote.
Gender Parity Index 2022: Women Continue to Break Records-But We Must Break Down Barriers
Every election cycle, headlines highlight how women are making electoral history. Women have run and won in “record numbers,” bringing differing issues to the table and inching closer toward parity. This, however, does not mean the gender gap in politics is disappearing as rapidly as these headlines make it seem.
The January 6 Committee Falls Short
The Democrats and their supporters in the ruling class—which includes the major corporations, most of the media, the intelligence services, and the military—are fighting Trump with a blunt instrument.
Women’s Rights, Human Rights: The Connectivity of Humanity
The struggle for women’s equal rights has been a long one, marked by noteworthy gains as well as tragic setbacks. A high point along this trajectory was the Seneca Falls Convention, July 19-20, 1848, the first women’s rights gathering in the US. Today I’m celebrating its 174th anniversary, in the shadow of the US Supreme Courts’ recent decision to overturn Roe, despite the unpopularity of bans on abortion and widespread support for women’s reproductive rights.
Now, Youth Must Teach Us How to Preserve Our Democracy
I am a political junkie. No matter how content I am comfortably ensconced in my ocean side apartment in Malibu I cannot let go of the one profession I dedicated four decades of my life to in an effort to hopefully make some positive contributions to humankind. Being a hopelessly disappointed yet willingly irresolute idealist I refuse to abandon my quest to contribute to passing along to future generations a workable democracy.
Women’s rights yesterday, today and tomorrow
The struggle for women’s equal rights has been a long one, marked by noteworthy gains as well as tragic setbacks. A high point along this trajectory was the Seneca Falls Convention, July 19-20, 1848, the first women’s rights gathering in the US. Today I’m celebrating its 174th anniversary, in the shadow of the US Supreme Courts’ recent decision to overturn Roe, despite the unpopularity of bans on abortion and widespread support for women’s reproductive rights.
Email Marketing: How to engage with your current prospects and drive more traffic to your site
0 Before you engage in CRO ideas that drive sales opportunities deeper into the funnel, many travel brands need to get customers from an email to their site. From our research into building a model of the customer’s mind, we’ve discovered a seemingly simple yet often overlooked email marketing tactic. (I’ve used three experiments from the travel industry as an example, but this discovery is broadly applicable to most industries).
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