Community-Based Politics
Heather Cox Richardson believes women鈥檚 participation in democracy is more important now than ever before. 鈥淚f there鈥檚 one thing that strikes me about this moment, it is both the truly extraordinary misogyny of this moment and the extraordinary efforts of American women to take up a place in American society and turn back that misogyny in the attacks on American democracy,鈥� said Richardson, professor of history at Boston College.聽
Richardson said she believes American democracy is in danger, especially for women. 鈥淚 would like to suggest today that it is not an accident that the current attempt to overthrow democracy presents itself as an attack on American women, because American women created the modern American state,鈥� she said.聽
An expert on Western American history, Richardson highlighted misconceptions about the historical role of women in the American West and how their stories reflect a national underappreciation of women鈥檚 influence. 鈥淭he real American West was centered around women,鈥� Richardson said. 鈥淚t was a West of political reform, and it was one that focused on norms, rules, and education.鈥澛燫ichardson also emphasized how, contrary to popular belief, American civic life has always relied on the contributions of minorities. 鈥淎merican mythology had always privileged white men, but the country had never functioned without the full participation of everyone in the community,鈥� she said.聽聽
Richardson added that promoting community-based politics is central to solving some of the problems the United States faces, citing the Harris-Walz campaign鈥檚 rhetoric at the Democratic National Convention as an example. 鈥淵ou saw Vice President Harris at that convention reject the identity politics for which the Democrats have been known for since at least the 1970s and instead embrace community,鈥� Richardson said. 鈥淪he talked about community鈥攐ften a female-based community.鈥澛�
Richardson contrasted Kamala Harris and Tim Walz鈥檚 community-based campaign with the authoritarian approach taken by Republicans. 鈥淲ithin America, we are choosing between two visions of government now,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ne based on an old concept of government, based on economic relationships that a few men can dominate, or, on the other hand, a concept of government based in the reality of a community in which all of us have lived but not recognized in our government,鈥� she said.聽聽
With just five weeks until the 2024 presidential election, Richardson encouraged the American people to recognize the power of the female vote.聽鈥淚 really don鈥檛 see how you look at where we are in the United States today and not see the centrality of women鈥檚 participation in government as central to how things are going to come out,鈥� she said.聽
Adapted from 聽article by聽Ella Champagne '27 and聽Elise Kirwin '27