Two professors who co-authored a biography of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will give a lecture and take questions Sunday at the Norman Public Library.
Professor Cindy Rosenthal said she and Ronald M. Peters spent three years researching and writing their book, “Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the New American Politics,” which chronicles the rise to power of the first female Speaker of the House.
Rosenthal is a professor of political science and women’s studies, director and curator of the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center and has served as mayor for the City of Norman since 2005. Peters is a professor of political science and served as the director of the Carl Albert Center from 1979-2000.
“This was perhaps an inevitable partnership,” Rosenthal said. “Professor Peters has interviewed every speaker since John McCormack (1962-1971), and I have focused my research on women in political leadership.”
The pair began researching the book prior to Pelosi’s election as speaker in January 2007, and finished the manuscript in fall 2009.
“We rely on the public record, original analysis of her policy operation and media efforts, lots of secondary sources, and several dozen confidential interviews including one with Speaker Pelosi,” Rosenthal said. “Our interviews include many current and former members, congressional staff, media analysts, lobbyists and Washington watchers.”
The book explores Pelosi’s decision-making process that led to the Californian’s election as Democratic whip. Pelosi’s victory as whip, a position she served from 2002-2003, put her in line to run for speaker, Rosenthal said.
“We detail the specifics of her election to the position of Democratic whip, which really put her in line to run for speaker,” Rosenthal said. “In that election, her timing was critical and she benefited from support from the liberal wing of the caucus, women members, and the large California delegation.”
Speaker Pelosi was able to achieve her position by taking advantage of the “new American politics,” Rosenthal said.
“She has mastered the five key elements of a new political environment,” she said. “One: sharply polarized partisan alignments; two: increasing demographic diversity in the general population and among elected officials; three: new communications technology and the fragmentation of news outlets in a round-the-clock news cycle; four: a requirement for leadership fund-raising prowess in election campaigns; and five: the imperative for congressional leaders to deploy new organizational and operational strategies.”
Rosenthal and Peters also will appear for a book signing Tuesday in Oklahoma City. For more information and to read book reviews, visit http://speakernancypelosi.com