Women’s College Examines Public’s Views on Women in Government and Law Enforcement

Meredith College, the liberal arts educational institution for women in Raleigh, North Carolina, recently conducted a survey to determine the electorate’s views on the role of women in government and law enforcement. Here are some selected findings from the Meredith College survey:

• The survey found that nearly three quarters of all respondents said they were dissatisfied with direction of the country.
• Only 60 percent of the women respondents said they felt safe in their communities.
• Nearly three quarters of respondents said that men and women are equally effective as political leaders. Thirteen percent said men were better as political leaders and 7 percent said women were better leaders.
• Women were rated as being more effective in dealing with social issues and keeping government honest. Men were rated as more effective in dealing with crime and on national security issues.
• Women serving as police officers were more likely than their male peers to be considered compassionate and ethical. One of every five respondents said that male police officers were better than women officers at defending the public. Only 3 percent of all respondents said women were better than men at protecting the public.
• Some 21 percent of respondents believe a man would make a better police chief than a woman. Only 5 percent of respondents said they thought a woman would make a better police chief than a man.