Role Strain Among Women in Public Office, 1973-1974

In the fall of 1973, questionnaires were sent to a nationwide random sample of 424 of the approximately 7,700 state legislators. One-half of the sample were women.

The return rate was 50.7% or 215 questionnaires. The data collection instrument consisted of a six-page, 58-item self-administered questionnaire with 55 forced-choice items and three short answer, open-ended questions. Variables examined attitudes of legislators and their spouses toward the interactions of family and political roles, attitudes of children to parents' work, time and family commitments, and financial help and moral and physical support of family.