Study Says is a weekly series that rounds up the most important polling trends or data you need to know, as well as checking in on trends shaping politics or culture.
Japan is expected to soon open up new horizons that the United States has so far left untouched. By mid-October, the East Asian country could be headed by a woman.
Sanae Takaichi was chosen one On October 4, he will lead the Liberal Democratic Party, the right-wing ruling party of the coalition government of Japan. For Takaichi to replace current Prime Minister Shigeru Ishibu, who is retiring, she needs to win a vote in the country's legislature. This is expected to happen, but some obstacles remain.
If Takaichi becomes the next prime minister, Japan will become the 50th democracy led by a woman since the end of World War II. Meanwhile, the US will then become one of 20 countries that exclude women from national leadership.
Daily Kos review data from the Council on Foreign Relations about the history of elected or appointed women heads of state and government among United Nations Members since early 1946. Daily Kos updated CFR data dated Aug. 7 to be current as of last Tuesday. Our analysis focuses only on countries rated as “flawed democracies” or higher by the Economist Intelligence Group's 2024 rankings. democracy index.
According to Daily Kos analysis, the US position among other economic countries is even tougher.
Since the end of World War II, 35 high-income democracies, defined World Bank because in countries with a gross national income of at least $13,935 per capita, the head of state or government was a woman. If Takaichi takes over as prime minister, Japan will become the 36th, leaving the US one of only eight countries led exclusively by men since 1946.
But what exactly is holding the US back?
Sexism is undoubtedly a big reason. Forty percent of voters say they personally know someone who would not vote for a female presidential candidateand 18% openly admit that they themselves are not ready to cast their presidential vote for a qualified woman. Near 80% of Americans They blame gender discrimination for the fact that there are fewer women than men in senior positions.
Society also encourages men more than women aspire to higher positions. And even when women run, their candidacies are subject to harsher media coverage. One analysis Results from the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries found that female candidates received more gendered and even racialized media coverage than their male counterparts, with women often criticized in reporting for lacking “warmth.” Kamala Harris, last year's Democratic nominee for president, faced the same misogynistic bias.
But sexism is not unique to America. As of early August, only 26 of the 193 UN member countries had a woman head of state or government, according to CFR. And only six had a national legislature composed of at least 50% women.
In a sense, the US really was more inclusiveness than in other democracies. A report for 2025 According to UN Women, the UN agency that promotes global gender equality, the United States has a higher proportion of women in senior government positions (40%) than Japan (10%). The US was also ahead of New Zealand (35%), Poland (35%), Denmark (30%) and other democracies with a female head of state or government.
Another key reason America's glass ceiling remains intact is our electoral process itself.
Many countries that have had women leaders use a parliamentary system, unlike the United States, which has a presidential system. In a typical parliamentary system, the head of government is usually the leader of the largest party in the lower house of government, who is directly elected.
Consider Canada. In 1993, Kim Campbell became the first in the country— and so far the only female prime minister. But Canadians did not directly choose her for the position, the way Americans choose their president. Instead she won far fewer votes at her party's leadership convention, and since her Progressive Conservative Party was Canada's ruling party, she became Prime Minister. This is somewhat similar to Takaichi becoming Japan's first female prime minister.
However, America chooses its head of government by voting in presidential elections. This likely introduces a special level of scrutiny of candidates not faced in many other democracies where the leader is a woman.
And unlike many other countries, if President Donald Trump dies, resigns or is removed from office, the Republican Party will not meet and vote on his replacement. Instead, Vice President J.D. Vance will be sworn in immediately. (God help us).
If the United States had a parliamentary system, the head of our government can be selected The House of Representatives, which will undoubtedly be much larger. For example, the UK House of Commons 650 seats for the country's population about 69.3 million— or one seat for every 107,000 people or so. If we give the US the same ratio, there will be more than 3,200 seats in the House of Representatives. Now there are 435 of them.
A parliamentary system in the US would undoubtedly mean more parties and, quite possibly, a female head of government. In fact, if the leader of the House of Representatives had served as acting president of the United States, Nancy Pelosi would have broken the glass ceiling in 2007.
However, there is another feature of our current system. already stood in the nation's path to a woman leader: the Electoral College. If the country elected its president by simple popular vote, Hillary Clinton would become president. She beat Trump in the popular vote in 2016. over 2.8 million votes.
Despite all this, the US is moving in the right direction. The number of women serving in Congress has increased increased rapidly over the past 30 years. And it's likely that eventually, perhaps even in three short years, this dynamic will bring a woman to the Oval Office.
Any updates?
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Pennsylvania Democrats may soon elect a better man than Democratic Sen. John Fetterman. Since taking office, Fetterman subjected to A striking political shiftshifting to the right of the voters who propelled him into office – and new polls show he faces significant headwinds in the 2028 Democratic primary if he decides to run again. A recent Quinnipiac University poll finds that only 33% of state Democrats approve of the job he is doing, while 54% disapprove. And while Republicans widely approve of the Democratic senator (62% approve, 21% disapprove), Keystone State Republicans are unable to vote in the Democratic primary. And if Fetterman makes an independent bid to keep his seat, it's unlikely Republican voters will support him over a true Republican.
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With Trump unnecessarily sending troops into Democratic-run cities, much of the American public doesn't want the National Guard involved in fighting local crime. According to the data, 53% of respondents believe that local police departments will do a better job of fighting crime in their states, while only 6% believe that the National Guard will do a better job of fighting crime. YouGov. Another 28% think local police and the National Guard would do an equally good job.
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Conservative disinformationThere is anything This I can't do it? Just under half of Republicans (42%) incorrectly believe undocumented immigrants are eligible for Medicaid, the data shows. new YouGov poll. Only 29% of Republicans know that undocumented immigrants are not eligible.
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We already know Americans hate Trump's tariffs, but new data shows they're changing their spending habits. About one in three Americans who recently bought used goods say they do so because of the tariffs, according to the data. Morning consultation. Oddly enough for Trump, second hand purchases is one way to combat the climate crisis, which he says is scam and deception.
Vibration test
United States could soon lose its measles-free statusAccording to the UN public health agency, outbreaks continue to spread all over the country.
There were at least 1,563 cases of measles reported in 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. data published on Wednesday. This is the highest number of annual cases since 1992, shortly after major health organizations first began to recommend a second dose vaccines for all children.
Between 2023 and 2024, the average number of cases per week was just 3.3. In 2025 it is 39.0.
Measles causes a blotchy rash and high fever, as well as a cough, runny nose and other symptoms. It is highly contagious and poses the greatest threat to children and people with weakened immune systems. Measles vaccination is estimated to have saved more than 93 million lives worldwide between 1974 and 2024.
But now vaccination rates are fallingthis year the number of cases has increased, and at least three people died.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must be delighted.
