"Mama Grizzlies, Or Something More?".

For the first time since 1992, pundits were dubbing the election cycle as ushering in "The Year of the Woman" in the Summer of 2010. But after the Fall Elections, these same pundits are changing their tune, calling the midterm elections a setback for female candidates. In this paper we explore what happened in the year 2010, what has happened over time, what is happening in the world, and (more importantly) why. Studies look at performances in legislative elections, statewide elections, state legislatures, gender statistics in parliaments of the world, females heads of state and heads of government from other countries, gender quota laws, poll responses, and studies from political scientists about evaluating female candidates for issue preference, ideology and qualifications for political office. The paper concludes with a look toward the future of women in American politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]