POL402 Class Presentation

MADAM SECRETARY INTRODUCTION
POLITICAL
OVERTLY POLITICAL -
depicting woman in power –
especially the presidency.
WOMEN ADVOCACY
QUASI-WOMEN ADVOCACY –
women empowerment
advocacy combined with the
breakage of the “glass
ceiling”.
CHALLENGING
VERY INNOVATIVE STYLE – a
woman with such power –
president - poses a challenge
to the male-dominated status
quo.
DEMANDS ATTENTION
AGENDA-SETTING – targeting
an increase in women's
political participation.
POLITICAL SHIFT
UTILIZING THE PRIMING
EFFECT – mentally preparing
the U.S. political to accept a
woman president.

 Film Synopsis:
 “The beginning of the story is when Madam Secretary main cast member Elizabeth McCord is named U.S.
Secretary of State. In the midst of office politics, she proves her worth when it comes to important diplomatic
issues. When there are problems that seem too important, she changes the rules and doesn’t mind. Other than
Elizabeth, the political drama also shows the lives of other main characters. So, yes, you can call it both a show
about politics and a show about a family. It looks like Elizabeth wants to become President of the United States
one day after having a lot of different jobs. She did come out on top when she became the first woman president
of the United States and took on the job” (Cary, 2022).

Film Synopsis:
 “Original release: September 21, 2014 –; December 8, 2019
 Final episode date: December 8, 2019
 Executive producers: Barbara Hall; Morgan Freeman; Téa Leoni; Lori McCreary; Tracy Mercer; David Grae
 Production companies: Barbara Hall Productions; Revelations Entertainment; CBS Television Studios
 Original network: CBS” ("Madam Secretary - Google search," n.d.)

MADAM SECRETARY - WOMEN POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
 “The 19th amendment legally guarantees American women the right to vote in America
 It was passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920” (National Archives, 2022)

MADAM SECRETARY - FEMALE % OF POPULATION
 “U.S. Census of 2020.
 Female persons, 50.8%” (U.S. Census Bureau', n.d.)

MADAM SECRETARY - MESSAGE TO WOMEN
**Video1 - source: (Politico.com, 2014)

MADAM SECRETARY - FEMALE LEADERS BY THE NUMBERS
U.S. Census of 2020.
 Female persons, 50.8%
**Image 1 - source: (Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP),
n.d.)

**Image2 - source: (Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), n.d.)

**Image4 - source: (Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP),
n.d.)

MADAM SECRETARY - FEMALE % OF POPULATION
**Image5 - source: (Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), n.d.)

MADAM SECRETARY - WHY SUCH LOW REPRESENTATION ?
 U.S. Census of 2020.
BECAUSE WOMEN FACE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES

MADAM SECRETARY - CHALLENGES FACING WOMEN
…AND WHY THE SHOW IS AN INSPIRATION?
 Patriarchy - "The biggest challenge facing women in the United States today is patriarchy. This is especially evident in the realm
of politics. Regardless of a woman’s experience, education or abilities, the patriarchal nature of U.S. society fosters the
perception that women are less qualified and less competent than men" (Politico, 2019).
 Not enough women at the table - “From the economy to climate change to criminal justice reform to national security, all
issues are women’s issues—but I believe a key to tackling the challenges we face is ensuring women are at the table, making
decisions" (Politico, 2019).
 Sexism, racism and economic inequality - "The extremely potent combination of sexism, racism and economic inequality—this
may seem like too broad an answer but it pretty much covers it on both a domestic and global front. All of the individual
challenges we may be tempted to rank are symptomatic of these massive systemic power imbalances, working in tandem"
(Politico, 2019).

 A campaign to normalize misogyny - "The greatest challenge confronting women in America is a campaign to normalize
misogyny and take women’s rights backward. " (Politico, 2019)..
 The economy is not working for women - "Women are the primary or joint breadwinners for a majority of American
households. But right now, this economy and our government is not working for them and their families. Today, a woman earns
80 cents for every dollar a man earns, and the pay gap is even worse for black and Latina women. Wages are barely budging in
this country but the cost of child care has gone up so much that it’s now more expensive than in-state college tuition in most
states—making it harder for women and men to work if they want to" (Politico, 2019).
 Access to equal opportunity - "Unfortunately, even with adequate education, women here in the United States as well as
women across much of the world still lack equal access to opportunity" (Politico, 2019).

 Navigating career and motherhood - "As a working mother of two young children, I believe that the big challenge facing
working women is navigating career opportunities while maximizing motherhood. The good news is that economic and political
freedom for American women of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds is the highest it’s ever been. Working moms do have
the luxury of “leaning in” to either their careers or motherhood, but rarely both at once. Enabling a mother to re-enter the
workforce where she left off should be commonplace" (Politico, 2019)..
 Increasing rates of maternal mortality - "One of the greatest challenges women in the U.S. and women throughout the world
face today are increasing rates of maternal mortality. According to the World Health Organization, 830 women die every day
from “preventable causes related to pregnancy.” These statistics are even more staggering in developing countries and among
women of color in the United States. Black women in particular are the most affected, dying at a ratio of 25.1 deaths per
100,000" (Politico, 2019).
 The lack of women in positions of power - "One of the struggles that underlies all of our policy battles is the continued lack of
women in positions of power" (Politico, 2019)

MADAM SECRETARY - POLITICAL MOTIVES
 Increase WOMEN political participation
 INSPIRE WOMEN to break the proverbial glass ceiling by getting POLITICALLY active

MADAM SECRETARY - CHANGE THE PARADIGM
…VIA INCREASED FEMALE PARTICIPATION
**Video2 - source: (Quang, 2018)

MADAM SECRETARY - END OF PRESENTATION
 Cary, M. (2022, April 13). Will Madam Secretary season 7 going to be renewed ? MichiganSportsZone.com. https://www.michigansportszone.com/madam-secretary-
season-7/#Plot
 Madam Secretary - Google search. (n.d.). Google. https://www.google.com/search?q=madam+secretary
 National Archives. (2022, February 8). 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women's right to vote (1920). https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/19th-
amendment
 U.S. Census Bureau'. (n.d.). U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: United States. Census Bureau QuickFacts.
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/SEX255220#SEX255220
 Politico.com. (2014, September 19). Tea Leoni on 'Madam Secretary' message to women [Video]. POLITICO. https://www.politico.com/video/2014/09/tea-leoni-on-
madam-secretary-message-to-women-002004
 Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). (n.d.). Current numbers. Center for American Women and Politics. https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/current-numbers
 https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/03/08/women-biggest-problems-international-womens-day-225698/
 Politico. (2019, March 8). What are the biggest problems women face today? POLITICO Magazine. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/03/08/women-biggest-
problems-international-womens-day-225698/
 Quang, M. (2018, October 29). Madam Secretary S5E4 - Why you should vote [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68OvOyq5I1w
Bibliography:

MADAM SECRETARY - END OF PRESENTATION
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS…

POL402 Class Presentation

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Featured

Featured (20)

POL402 Class Presentation