Fired Up or Falling Flat: Trump’s Effect on Women’s Organizations

• In Event: Contemporary Movements and Issues

Abstract

What impact did the election of Donald Trump in 2016 have on women’s organizations? Although Trump’s impact on the rise of Democratic women candidates in 2018 is well documented, less is known about how women’s organizations responded to Trumps election in 2016. In this paper, I explore the differences in how Republican, Democratic, and Nonpartisan groups responded to Trump’s election using a state survey of women’s organizations and interviews with national women’s organizations. I find that the women’s group’s response changed drastically based on the party identification of the group, as Republican groups tended to avoid acknowledging any change while Democratic and nonpartisan groups articulated a growth and upheaval due to Trump’s presence. Results emphasize the importance of considering group identity when studying organizational change, and hold implications for understanding the rise of Republican women candidates in 2020.

Author

• Shannon McQueen, West Chester University of Pennsylvania