Have you really come a long way? women’s access to power in the United States

Although vast social and political changes over the past decades have opened many opportunities for women, many activists and academics maintain that women continue to face significant barriers to entry into positions of power and influence. The vast majority of American leaders are white and male, but the representation of women in the professions has begun to rise as more and more women enter the leadership ranks of various professions. This article provides a profile of women who currently hold positions of power in the United States—who they are, what sectors they represent, and how their opinions on social and political issues compare and contrast with one another. Analyzing data from the Study of Leadership Characteristics, a recently completed national survey of American elites, this article examines the structure and gender composition of elites in the United States, revealing patterns of both conflict and consensus among women elites.