This collection of 33 articles contains pieces by activists as well as work by scholars in economics, political science, history, sociology, and African American, Asian American, American, and women's studies. The essays, focusing on U.S. women, attempt to look beyond simplistic "gender gap" analysis by taking an expansive view of political activity and by emphasizing the experiences of marginalized groups. We find papers on Mexican migrant workers, Chinese women garment workers, Chicana/Latina elected officials in California, black women in state legislatures, disabled women, gay women, rural women, Native American women, and the black urban underclass. The editors who teach at Yale University, San Diego State University, and Hunter College have arranged the papers in five sections, although the organization is not completely clear.