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Declaring a New Year's Resolution for 2019? Baylor Experts Can Help
WACO, Texas (Dec. 17, 2018) – As 2019 approaches, many Americans are considering ways to improve themselves via New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s personal, like losing weight or clearing clutter, or it’s professional, such as being a better manager or breaking away from smartphones, the options are wide-ranging. Here is a listing of Baylor University research that might help advise those seeking positive change in the coming year. First and Foremost, Resolve not to Over-resolve Only 10 to 20 percent of people keep their resolutions, says Sara Dolan, Ph.D., associate professor and graduate program director of clinical psychology. She advises setting “bite-sized goals instead of a massive behavior change.” Rather than giving up sugar completely or going all out at the gym, she advises achieving small successes before moving on. Ask Yourself: “Do I really want to work from home?” Many U.S. employees believe working from home – or at least away from the office – can bring freedom and stress-free job satisfaction. A 2018 Baylor University study says, “Not so fast.” The research, led by Sara Perry, Ph.D., assistant professor of management in Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, found that: Autonomy is critical to protecting remote employees’ well-being and helping them avoid strain. Employees reporting high levels of autonomy and emotional stability appear to be the most able to thrive in remote-work positions. Employees reporting high levels of job autonomy with lower levels of emotional stability appear to be more susceptible to strain. “Any organization, regardless of the extent to which people work remotely, needs to consider well-being of their employees as they implement more flexible working practices,” the researchers wrote. Read more here. Save Money by being a Better Negotiator In today’s retail climate, where stores struggle to keep up with online competition and customers can compare prices with the ease of their smartphones, the price tag is just a starting point for negotiations, said negotiation expert Emily Hunter, Ph.D., associate professor of management in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business. “No longer do you need to pay sticker price for everything you buy. The customer is now empowered to have a say in pricing, and even hourly retail workers are often empowered to give price discounts when requested,” Hunter said. Hunter said negotiations – whether in a retail setting or in the workplace – require confidence. “Many people are hesitant to negotiate because they don’t know how or they are worried about the other person’s reaction (Will they think I’m greedy?),” she said. “But practice can increase your confidence in your ability to negotiate. Rejection is less common than you fear, and retail stores especially are often willing to work with you.” She offered the following tips to increase the chances of greater deals at the check-out counter. Resolving to Be More Generous in the New Year Many Americans already have enough “stuff,” and the gift-giving season sometimes adds to that collection of things we really don’t need. Instead of always receiving, how can we resolve to be more generous in the New Year? “Whatever our station, however much money or resources we have, we all have something to share and something to give,” says Andy Hogue, Ph.D., senior lecturer in Baylor’s Honors College who teaches a course on philanthropy and the public good. “I like the idea of thinking in terms of a New Year’s resolution, sort of resolving to be more generous and helping people to think in those ways.” Hogue offers individuals and families four ways to develop a spirit of generosity in the New Year. Home Cooking Saves Money, Encourages Better Diet The more home-prepared foods used, the less risk there is of eating too many calories and fat calories, says Baylor University nutrition expert Janelle Walter, Ph.D., professor of family and consumer sciences and Nutrition Sciences Program coordinator. Home cooking also saves money and allows for more fruits, vegetables and dairy products — which often are missing when pre-prepared products are used — as well as less fat, sugar and salt. Some tips for prepping at home are making a precise list, lining up recipes and lists of ingredients, shopping when you aren’t hungry and preparing five main dishes at a time to see you through a few days. Involve your family in choosing foods, shopping and preparing foods, Walter says. Many simple and quick recipes are on online sites, she said, referencing these from Southern Living. Consider a New Approach to Dieting Meredith David, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, researched successful dieters and how they were different from others. Her research results have received national attention. “Our research shows that instead of creating rules to avoid one’s favorite treats, dieters should focus on eating healthy foods that they enjoy,” David said. “Dieters who restrict themselves from consuming the foods they love most may be setting themselves up for failure. Instead, they may be better off by allowing occasional ‘treats’ and focusing attention on healthy foods that they enjoy and making it a point to include those tasty but healthy foods in their diet.” Read the full article. Be Humble and Helpful In hard times, you know how much a helping hand means — and how humbling those times can be. So it might be good to resolve to look for opportunities to assist in 2019, while remembering not to pat yourself on the back for doing so. A decision to help someone else is influenced by time pressure, number of bystanders, empathy or a person's own distress — but that’s not all, says Baylor researcher Wade Rowatt, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience. “While several factors influence whether people will volunteer to help, it appears that humble people, on average, are more helpful than individuals who are egotistical or conceited.” Cultivate Patience — and Better Mental Health People who are more patient toward others also tend to be more hopeful, grateful and satisfied with life, says Sara Schnitker, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience. And there is more than one type of patience, including interpersonal patience — dealing with annoying people without losing your cool; handling life hardships — such as illness or unemployment — without frustration or despair; and coping with such daily hassles as traffic jams, computer woes and long lines. In her research, Schnitker invited undergraduates to two weeks of patience training, where they learned to identify feelings and their triggers, regulate their emotions, empathize and meditate. If you want to build your own patience, she recommends following three steps: identify, imagine and sync. First, take a moment to slow down an identify how you are feeling and why you might be feeling that way. Second, try to imagine or reappraise the situation from a different perspective or in a new way that helps you to be calm. Finally, sync with your purpose. Try to connect how what you are doing or enduring helps you pursue larger goals or your life purpose. When Ailing, Talk to A Doctor Instead of Searching the Internet for Answers Rather than heading to the doctor — or even the medicine cabinet — some people turn first to the Internet when they are ailing , according to a Baylor University researcher. Especially for folks who have trouble handling uncertainty, "cyberchondria" — the online counterpart to hypochondria — worsens as they seek answers, says Thomas Fergus, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences. “They may become more anxious. And the more they search, the more they consider the possibilities,” he says. Doubts about health also can trigger worries about medical bills, disability and job loss, he said. And that can lead to a Catch-22 of more Googling (sometimes of questionable sources). Rather than giving in to cyberchondria, resolve to call your doctor — and take what you read with a grain of salt. In Conflicts with your Significant Other, Relinquish Power During spats with your spouse or significant other, the most common thing people want is not an apology, but a willingness to relinquish power, says Keith Sanford, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor University's College of Arts & Sciences. That comes in many forms, among them giving a partner more independence, admitting faults, showing respect and being willing to compromise. Following closely behind the desire for shared control was the wish for the partner to show more of an investment in the relationship by such ways as sharing intimate thoughts or feelings, listening and sharing chores and activities, Sanford said. Sleep Better in the New Year Writing a “to-do” list at bedtime may aid in falling asleep, according to a Baylor University study by Michael K. Scullin, Ph.D., director of Baylor’s Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory and assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience. Scullin's 2018 research compared sleep patterns of participants who took five minutes to write down upcoming duties versus participants who chronicled completed activities. Scullin suggests that writing a list may allow the brain to “offload” them instead of cycling through them repeatedly. Other hints: Use the bed for sleep rather than studying or entertainment; keep a regular sleep schedule; avoid electronics near bedtime; don’t take long day naps; and stay away from stimulants at least six hours before bedtime. Clear Out Clutter Without Getting Frazzled “Don’t try to organize the entire house in one weekend,” said Elise King, assistant professor in the department of family and consumer sciences. “You are much more likely to complete a task, especially one that you’ve probably been avoiding, if you break it into small goals. Don’t try to clean out an entire room over a weekend; instead, focus on the desk one week, the closet the next, and so forth.” Finally, involve your family, strive to make organization a routine — and reward yourself for your efforts. Break Away from the Smartphone Baylor marketing researchers James Roberts and Meredith David, Ph.D. have conducted numerous studies on the effects of smartphone technology on relationships. Their studies on “phubbing” – phone snubbing – have garnered national and international interest, given the pervasiveness of smartphone technology and its impact on relationships. Their studies have found: Bosses Who “Phone Snub” Their Employees Risk Losing Trust and Engagement “Phubbing” can damage romantic relationships and lead to higher levels of depression People who are phone snubbed by others are, themselves, often turning to their smartphones and social media to find acceptance “Although the stated purpose of technology like smartphones is to help us connect with others, in this particular instance, it does not,” David said. “Ironically, the very technology that was designed to bring humans closer together has isolated us from these very same people.”
Next Level Thought Leadership and Content Marketing
We are entering an era of elevated thought leadership. Thought Leadership often focuses on a select few in an organization and misses opportunities to showcase everything your organization has to offer. It’s rarely scalable, often expensive and almost always wagers on a small pool of topics in any given quarter. The fact is that you have more expertise operating behind the scenes than you’re showing off. Enter Expertise Marketing, the next generation of content marketing. Opening up a world of new opportunities, here is how Expertise Marketing stacks up against more traditional thought leadership programs. SCOPE Inclusive vs Exclusive Expertise Marketing is designed to engage a diverse set of experts throughout the organization. It focuses on broader coverage of relevant topics that engage a wider variety of audiences and expand your opportunities for valuable connections. Thought Leadership programs tends to focus on fewer select experts. Often designed as a bespoke program aimed at involving only senior executives. TIMING Sustained vs Campaign Focussed Expertise Marketing creates a sustained digital presence that leverages the content that experts are producing across the organization and distributes it across a range of channels. Most Thought Leadership programs tend to align with a specific event (such as a product launch, industry conference or social cause) that maps to a defined budget and timeframe. STRUCTURE Agile vs Controlled The agile nature of good Expertise Marketing provides the ability to quickly mobilize experts to position their expertise in the context of breaking news to create higher engagement with audiences such as the media. This compares to the more controlled approach of a traditional Though Leadership programs that requires careful planning to ensure alignment with corporate strategy and messaging - often missing time-sensitive opportunities. COST Low vs High Expertise Marketing can efficiently leverage client or agency resources and services through technology versus Thought Leadership programs that are often structured as long-term projects that require specialized resources in agencies. Take the steps to transform your content marketing overnight. Download the Expertise Marketing whitepaper or talk to us about how you can evolve quicker and generate a new competitive edge. About ExpertFile For a comprehensive look at how expertise marketing benefits the entire organization and drives measurable return on investment, follow the link below to download an industry-focussed copy of ExpertFile’s Complete Guide to Expertise Marketing: The Next Wave in Digital Strategy.
Top 9 ROI Metrics for Expertise Marketing
When it comes to digital marketing, organizations are looking for data-driven solutions that are proven to support their bottom line. Here are 9 families of quantitative and qualitative metrics that will help you measure and track the success of your organization’s Expertise Marketing. (Taken from Chapter 5 of Expertise Marketing Whitepaper: Next Wave in Digital Strategy) REPUTATION Move Brand Metrics - Position research, client work, thought leadership perspectives and achievements in the context of relevant topics in the news. MARKET AWARENESS Move Search Metrics - Boost search-engine rankings and increase overall breath of search results. LEAD GENERATION Grow Inbound Leads - Increase the number of direct lead inquiries from the following audiences: Customers | Students | Patients | Donors | Patients | Media | Recruits | Conferences | Partners | Alumni | & More... AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT Drive Engagement Metrics - A single familiar digital touchpoint provides access to all content marketing assets and encourages enhanced content browsing. Download our Free Whitepaper Expertise Marketing: The Next Wave in Digital Strategy TALENT DEVELOPMENT Boost People Performance - Better engage stakeholders, researchers & subject-matter experts in the development and distribution of content. INTERNAL COLLABORATION Improve Teamwork & Internal Efficiency - Better coordinate the knowledge and resources across internal communications teams and other departments as they engage experts. Provide a faster, more efficient way to generate content for breaking news and events. CONTENT CONTRIBUTION Expand Reach - Increase the size of the organization’s digital footprint by aggregating more content and distributing it contextually to multiple websites and third-party databases. EFFICIENCY Deliver More with Less - Help employees get their jobs done faster and more efficiently. Enable them to find information faster, speed up internal processes and foster collaboration among people in multiple locations. LEVERAGE CURRENT & FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE Extract More Value From Existing Investments - Properly integrated, new technology investments should integrate seamlessly to leverage existing/proposed infrastructure such as content management systems (CMS). What’s most important to you? Get in touch with Deanne and start the conversation about how ExpertFile can begin moving that dial within 6 weeks. Get Your Copy and Get Started Expertise Marketing: The Next Wave in Digital Strategy About ExpertFile ExpertFile is the world’s first Expertise Marketing Platform that helps organizations solve the challenge of creating, managing and amplifying expert content. Our software platform and services help you showcase your people and their insights to the audiences that matter across a range of channels including distribution through the Associated Press to over 15,000 newsrooms. Learn more about ExpertFile.
2019's Hottest Content Marketing Trend
Content marketing has taken over the digital landscape and quickly become the strategy of choice for boosting online engagement. While many organizations want skin in the game, incremental tweaks to existing marketing plans will no longer deliver big returns. Over the past 18 months, audience behaviour has evolved and we need to make sure that we’re keeping up. Expertise Marketing is the next evolution of content marketing. Leveraging untapped expertise within your organization, it builds value by mobilizing the hidden people, knowledge and content you already have at your fingertips. This win-win solution not only gives audiences better quality content, but it also lets organizations show off their smarts. As the hottest content marketing trend of 2019, Expertise Marketing drives exponential return by: Promoting the content generated by internal experts in the manner that’s easily found by both search engines and media partners. Transforming invisible expert content that is already in your organization into lead-generating material. Using best-in-class content to nurture conversations and connections with audiences such as media, customers, partners, government and funding agencies. Download our FREE Whitepaper Expertise Marketing: The Next Wave in Digital Strategy On top of these attributes, Expertise Marketing can be easily deployed in weeks and improvements to ROI metrics can be seen almost instantly. Download our white-paper to learn more and step into this new world of opportunity and performance. Get Your Copy and Get Started Expertise Marketing: The Next Wave in Digital Strategy About ExpertFile ExpertFile is the world’s first Expertise Marketing Platform that helps organizations solve the challenge of creating, managing and amplifying expert content. Our software platform and services help you showcase your people and their insights to the audiences that matter across a range of channels including distribution through the Associated Press to over 15,000 newsrooms. Learn more about ExpertFile.
Baylor Journalism Professor, Public Relations Ethics Expert, Selected as Arthur W. Page Fellow
Marlene Neill, Ph.D., assistant professor of journalism, public relations and new media in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences, has been designated as a research fellow at the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication, a research center at the Penn State University College of Communications. The Page Center has asked Neill to focus on developing a response to a new report from the Commission on Public Relations Education that recommends public relations education programs offer a stand-alone ethics course, as well as integrate ethics throughout curriculum. The study found that public relations professionals ranked ethics third behind writing and communication as a necessary competency to work in public relations. In addition, public relations professionals in the study indicated that new professionals are not meeting their expectations in this area. “This is a great project because it combines my interests, the first being ethics, which is an area that I enjoy studying, and the second is a focus on public relations education,” Neill said. “I will be teaching the media ethics class in the spring for the first time, and one of the things I like about doing these studies is that it helps me gather insights from industry and then bring those insights back to the classroom.” Since receiving her invitation in June, Neill has begun preparations for research this fall with different groups across the nation, including the Public Relations Society of America. She will use the Delphi research method, where she will gather feedback from a variety of experts including senior- and middle-management executives as well as young professionals, and will then follow up with in-depth interviews, which last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. In addition, she will be serving on a subcommittee of the Commission on Public Relations Education, which is charged with making recommendations for public relations ethics curriculum. “On a typical study, I’ll spend about nine months going through the process of collecting the data, analyzing it, writing the papers, presenting to conferences and submitting to journals,” Neill said. “The second year will be spent preparing reports and writing recommendations based on those findings. While it sounds like a long time, when you think about it from that perspective, there’s a lot involved in doing an in-depth study like this.” In-depth interviews work well for this type of study, Neill said, because they provide specific examples of dilemmas and how people choose to handle them. “With qualitative research, you really get an understanding of the decision-making that people go through when faced with an issue and the step-by-step process they take to reach those decisions,” Neill said. “You get that inside scoop into the motivations and reasons for their actions.” Neill had previously received four grants from the Page Center, which resulted in a book, “Public Relations Ethics: Senior PR Pros Tell Us How to Speak Up and Keep Your Job,” published in 2018, as well as four journal articles, four academic conference papers and two top paper awards. In one of her most recent studies, Neill found that millennials often do not expect to face ethical dilemmas and do not feel prepared to address them. “There is a need to improve and enhance our ethics training at our colleges and universities, and by tapping in to what is actually happening in the industry, it makes it more relevant and helps better prepare students for some of the issues they will be facing today,” Neill said. As part of her subcommittee, Neill will gather sample syllabi and other teaching resources from universities across the nation and then share them with different public relations educators to help them prepare to cover ethics in ethics courses, as well as other public relations courses.
Election 2018: Wake Forest University experts
From state constitutional amendments to immigration, Wake Forest faculty experts can comment on a variety of 2018 midterm election-related topics. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ John Dinan, professor of political science and international affairs North Carolina Politics State Constitutional Amendments Congressional Redistricting Author of the book, “State Constitutional Politics: Governing by Amendment in the American States,” Dinan is available to comment on amendments appearing on the 2018 ballot in North Carolina and in 28 other states. From voter ID to judicial vacancies, he can place particular amendments in nationwide and historical perspective. Based on his research, he can also address the arguments and issues that routinely surface in campaigns supporting and opposing various amendments. Dinan closely follows North Carolina political races and teaches courses on campaigns and elections, state politics and Congress and policymaking. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Allan Louden, professor of communication Political Campaigns and Advertising Political Debates Social Media and Politics From presidential debates to political advertising, Louden has provided expert commentary and analysis for a wide range of national and regional media outlets. He follows political advertising and candidates’ debates in presidential, Senate, gubernatorial and high-profile House races. Under Louden’s leadership, Wake Forest University’s debate team won the national debate tournament. He can comment on political advertising strategies and how social media, including viral videos, impacts races. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ John Llewellyn, associate professor of communication Political Speeches Political Scandals Public Apologies Llewellyn focuses on political speeches and rhetoric. He is a scholar of rhetoric whose work includes analyzing persuasive language from the nation’s most prominent politicians, coaches and civil rights leaders. A former speechwriter and public information officer, Llewellyn also specializes in crisis communication, having studied the intersection of politics and public relations for nearly 30 years. He can also comment on political scandals and public apologies. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Betina Wilkinson, associate professor of political science and international affairs Latina/o/x Voters Wilkinson can offer insights and commentary on Latino voters for the midterm elections. She is an expert on Latino political behavior in the U.S., studies Latinos in U.S. politics, national and local immigration policy, and racial attitudes among Latinos and other ethnic groups. She can discuss the demographics and election-related priorities of Latinos. Wilkinson authored a chapter “North Carolina Latinos: And Emerging Influential Electorate in the South” in the book “The Pivotal Role of the Latino Electorate in the 2012 Election.” She is also the author of “Partners or Rivals? Power and Latino, Black and White Relations in the 21st Century.” ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Katy Harriger, professor of politics and international affairs Young Voters Federal Special Prosecutor/Robert Mueller U.S. Supreme Court A leading national expert on the federal special prosecutor, Harriger can address the influence the Mueller investigation may have on the 2018 elections. She is the author of The Special Prosecutor in American Politics and is regularly interviewed by national media outlets on the use of federal special prosecutors in American government. Harriger also studies political participation and voting among young people (including college students) and is the co-author of “Speaking of Politics: Preparing College Students for Democratic Citizenship through Deliberative Dialogue.” She can provide expert commentary on the latest Supreme Court developments and how they will likely impact midterm elections. She co-authored the book “American Constitutional Law” published in 2017. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Michael Pisapia, assistant professor of politics and international affairs Gender and Politics Teacher Protests Political Parties and Education Reform Women Running for Congress Gender Equality and Constitutional Law Kavanaugh Hearings Pisapia studies American political development with a focus on women, gender and politics and can comment on tensions between liberal and conservative social groups and the unprecedented number of women who are engaged in political movements, and who are seeking elective office this year. He can also address partisan polarization around education policy, religious freedom and, sex and gender equality in constitutional law, including the significance of the Kavanaugh hearings in the context of the #metoo Movement. Pisapia is working on a book titled, “Educating a Nation: Women’s Empowerment and the Shape of American Federalism. He won the 2013 Carrie Chapman Catt Prize for scholarship on women and politics. He teaches courses on American politics and political thought. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Hana Brown, associate professor of sociology and Gale Faculty Fellow Immigration Brown studies the effects of immigration and racial divisions on policy outcomes and the micro-level effects of state actions on the lives of racial minorities and immigrants. Her research also focuses on the political origins and political consequences of social inequalities. She teaches courses on political sociology, social inequality, and race and ethnicity in politics. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
There is no shortage of forecasting leading up to tomorrow's midterm elections -- what might very well be a once-in-a-generation event. Ask anyone who gets paid professionally to work in politics. But it’s not always about signs, speeches and rallies – there’s voter analysis and plain old math required to accurately predict an outcome to any election. Experts at the University of Mary Washington have developed a statistical model that uses the 2017 Virginia governor's election to predict that Democrats will pick up 44 seats tomorrow. If this prediction is correct, the experts argue two things: Virginia is the most important state in the nation and can tell us everything we need to know about future elections. And all of the events and "game-changers" don't matter. Trump's tweets and erratic behavior don't matter. Elections are easily predicted by simple fundamental things like presidential approval (in 2017) and what swing states like Virginia have to say. This was all done exactly a year ago. Chad Murphy is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Mary Washington and he has designed this prediction model. Chad is available to speak with media – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
Can white evangelicals still swing the midterms?
Evangelicals overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election. And they overwhelmingly prefer Republican candidates in the midterms. They’re also reliable voters -- and support for Trump among white evangelicals remained at an all-time high with just days to go. Democrats, on the other hand, will rely on a less-certain electorate of young and diverse voters. This could make the difference in Tuesday's outcome. “Social conservatives could swing important races across the country if other voters don’t turn out in the numbers Democrats are hoping for,” writes Dylan Scott on Vox.com, which called white evangelicals “the sleeping giant of the midterms.” Still, according to The New York Times: “Young evangelicals are questioning the typical ties between evangelicalism and Republican politics. Many said it had caused schisms within their families. And many described a real struggle with an administration they see as hostile to immigrants, Muslims, L.G.B.T.Q. people, and the poor. They feel it reflects a loss of humanity, which conflicts with their spiritual call.” Emile Lester, assistant professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, is an expert in religion and politics whose research published by the First Amendment Center has been featured in The New York Times, The American Interest, USA Today and on C-Span, NPR and various other media outlets around the nation. Emile is available to speak with reporters about the political behavior of evangelical Christian voters. Just click on his icon to arrange an interview.
Close races coal country! Our expert can help explain what might happen in Virginia this Tuesday
This Tuesday may be the most watch midterms in decades. Though it is quickly coming cliché to say this might be the ‘most important’ election to date…it is definitely the most important election since the last election. In Virginia – it’s a fight for key Congressional seats as well as for Senate. The thing to keep in mind is, midterm voters are not the same group as general election voters, in Virginia, it’s the seniors vote that shows up and demands to be heard. That could play a big part in the re-election efforts of form Vice Presidential candidate and current Senator, Tim Kaine. As well, with President Trump keeping his commitment to coal – will that play a part? There are many issues at play this week in Virginia that will impact not just the state, but potentially the country. That’s where our experts can help. Dr. Stephen Farnsworth is professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington. A published author and a media ‘go-to’ on U.S. politics, he is available to speak with media regarding this issue. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
Closing the gender gap - A record number of female candidates are on the ballot this Tuesday
There’s been an enormous amount of attention put on the 2018 midterm elections. As a divided America competes for control of both Congress and the Senate – this election has seen a solid roster of candidates looking to represent both sides of the aisle in Washington. Another positive trend that has emerged has been the number of female candidates coming forward for election. In a piece written for Vox, by University of Mary Washington’s Rosalyn Cooperman – some impressive numbers were shown, however the disparity of female candidates between the two parties can not be ignored. "While women comprise 43 percent of Democratic candidates in 2018 congressional general elections, they make up only 22 percent of Republican Senate candidates and only 13 percent of Republican House candidates. While Democratic women won House primaries at rates 20 percentage points higher than Democratic men, Republican women and men won House primaries at similar rates. Currently, 73 percent of the women serving in Congress are Democrats. While 2018 may be a record-breaking year for women candidates in many ways, the midterm elections are unlikely to significantly alter the longstanding party gap among women officeholders." So, what can be done to close the gender gap among Republicans? Is it time parties considered parity or focused more on recruiting viable female candidates? Are women discouraged from running, and if so why? There are many questions to be answered here and that’s where our experts can help. Rosalyn Cooperman, associate professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington and member of Gender Watch 2018, is an expert on women in politics. Rosalyn is available to speak with media regarding this topic – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview.
