Published: April 04, 2008 02:48 pm            

RUNNING FOR OFFICE: Politician are bred not born

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Presentation by Jamie Pimlott, assistant professor, Niagara University , at the YWCA of Niagara’s Institute for Public Leadership

WHEN: Noon April 27

WHERE: The Tatler Club, 64th Street, Niagara Falls

CONTACT: YWCA of Niagara, 433-6714



Jamie Pimlott is not raising her daughter to be a politician. But she is certainly raising a daughter who cares about politics.

“From the time she was 7 or 8, she was making presidential signs and wanting to put them in our front yard,” said Pimlott, an assistant professor of political science at Niagara University.

Pimlott’s research into women in politics has left her with some strong ideas about the way to encourage an interest in that area. It’s best to start from the beginning, when future mayors or presidents are just children.

“My interest in politics came largely from my father, who is Canadian. I grew up in Florida and most of my life he would watch CNN, the History Channel and anything to do with politics and history. I grew up barraged with those kind of images, those kinds of topics,” Pimlott said.

“My dad and I have a tradition of sitting down at the dining room table and having these discussions of the issues where he always takes the opposing side.”

Pimlott said her life echoes research that shows parents who talk of politics, and who engage in political activities like taking their children to the voting booth, help their children develop a political identity.

Pimlott always asks her students to think about how they developed their personal political beliefs. Often, they are surprised to determine that many of their beliefs were handed down from their parents.

“They say, ‘Oh, this is why I'm Republican’ or, ‘This is why I have mixed kind of political identity,’ ” she said. ‘It get the students thinking about where their ideas come from.”

Pimlott, who will speak at a luncheon April 27 for the YWCA Niagara’s Institute for Public Leadership (see sidebar), is working on a book about women’s engagement in politics since the women’s movement began. The book is called, “Not Your Mother’s Tupperware Party.”

The book details the formation of the first woman’s political action committee — Emily’s List — which got its start by following a familiar feminine route; traditional home party attendees would gather to purchase products such as Tupperware.

Organizers for Emily’s List went from home to home, sharing coffee and cookies with groups of women and encouraging them to engage in politics at all levels.

The impact drew more women into political power, and that has changed the landscape of government, she said.

“The public tends to perceive women leaders as agents of change. They see them as more moral, although whether that is true is an empirical question,” she said.

As the scandal surrounding former Gov. Eliot Spitzer begins to wane, Pimlott said the political spotlights may shine brighter on female candidates.

“During times of public scandal, you'll often see women do better (in political campaigns),” she said. “They're there to kind of clean up politics, or at least the public perceives that.”

Contact editor, Michele DeLuca at 693-1000, ext. 157.

        

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