Reconstruction Interrupted or Restored? Gender, Race and Political Time

• In Event: (Re)Evaluating Presidential Power

Abstract

In this paper, I consider how race and gender interacted to derail the potential Obama Reconstruction. The backlash to the first black president and first female presidential candidate affected political time in a unprecedented way allowing for the election of Donald Trump. At the same time, I consider whether a highly salient and implicitly gendered policy issue like reproductive rights might provide a window for reconstruction in an era where entrenched partisanship, interests, and institutions have seemingly disrupted the cycle of political time.

Author

• Anne C Pluta, Rowan University