Women and the Democratic Party: The Evolution of EMILY's List By ...

while simultaneously keeping it firmly rooted to its mission and history.

Members and Their Organizational Roles

In this chapter, I explore the relationship between the members and the organization. EMILY's List membership grew exponentially from 1986 to the present day. The organization brings in over $25 million in receipts and the vast majority of its membership is female—yet the conventional wisdom is that women do not contribute to politics often and especially do not give large amounts (Francia et al. 2003). How, then, does EMILY's List get women to donate so much money, and who are these ELISTERs? Are they simply a network of loyal donors, “political elite” women located in the Beltway? Or is the organization, in fact, a broad-based entity that attracts men and women from all over the country who give both large and small amounts, driven to become members for a variety of reasons?

Candidates and the Organization

According to the organization's literature, candidates endorsed by EMILY's List have four things in common: they are female pro-choice Democrats who are viable candidates. In chapter 5, I explore the relationship between candidates and the organization. EMILY's List supported all but a few of the Democratic women who have made it into the U.S. Congress since 1986.⁶ What is the secret to EMILY's List's success? How does the organization assess viability, and how has that changed over time? Does EMILY's List follow an access-oriented strategy, which would fit with their interest-group activities, or does it