Women have long faced special barriers in their efforts to gain election to political office. We show that the hurdles women encounter go beyond the often-described familial responsibilities and occupational disadvantages to include perceptual and political barriers unique to women. Using a two-wave, five-year panel of people serving on city councils, we find women likely to pursue higher office only under particular conditions—conditions that seem to matter little to men. Additionally, the success of women in pursuing higher office is more closely tied to the circumstances in which they find themselves than is the success of men. We suggest that the motivational circumstances of women and men in pursuing a political career are more complex than previously assumed. It is not just that men and women differ in their career attitudes and perceptions but that these attitudes and perceptions have different meaning for the two sexes.

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With the spread of state–sponsored lotteries to all but 17 states, it is important to understand the circumstances and perspectives of those who contribute to lottery revenues. A multivariate model of percent of income spent on lottery tickets indicates that participation is a declining function of income and education, and that it is higher among black, male, and older respondents. In addition, participation is affected by the social context of the respondent and the respondent's attitudes regarding the lottery as enjoyable and an escape. Attitudes favorable to lottery play are concentrated disproportionately among less advantaged groups, particularly the least educated.

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