从边缘到中心:女议员在美国国会身份的演变

From Margin to Mainstream:Study on the Evolution of American Congresswoman's Statuses

联邦国会是美国的最高立法机构,也是其民主制度的核心组成部分,但女性直至1917年才得以进入。自此,女议员在国会的地位渐进提升。具体来看,她们由只具象征意义的陪衬者,逐步转变成在相关法规制定、实施过程中的实干家,并获得一定的领导权。现今,虽然所占比例仍很低,但女议员已走到国会舞台的中心。文章通过解读典型人物及案例,探究女议员身份的演变历程,突出她们地位的逐步提升既推动了女权事业的发展,亦是对美国民主制度的完善。

As one cornerstone of American representative democracy, Federal Congress is the highest legislative agency in U. S. political system. Woman, however, was excluded from it until 1917. Since then, congresswoman＇s status has been elevated step by step. To be specific, their roles in congress move from gentlewoman amateur with symbolic meaning to neutral professional who can exert substantial influence on law and policy making, especially the ones related to women rights. Nowadays, though still the minority, congresswomen, serving as feminist colleague, have entered the center stage in congress. Through interpreting typical characters and cases in the history of congresswomen＇s political participation, this paper aims at exploring the evolution process of their statuses, and highlighting such promotion which not only propels the better protections of women＇s rights, but also reflects gradual developments of American democracy.